Play: Counterfeit Phantom - Persona 5: Strikers

For a good minute or so, they all stood at the end of the drawbridge, admiring the sight in front of them. Nobody said a word, and the air was silent.

At long last, the silence was broken.

"I don't get it," Kingpin said while turning back to Mona, "What does a fortress have to do with Chie?"

Mona could only shrug, "I don't know. She's your partner. If anybody here knew the answer, shouldn't it be you ?"

"I didn't even know she had one of these things in the first place."

"That's...y'know what, fair enough."

Joker turned back to the two of them, "We don't have time to argue. If you want to know why it's like this, then we need to get inside and investigate."

"He's right. We'd better get inside and start looking around. There's gotta be something that'll give us some answers."

Kingpin nodded and turned back to Joker, "I'll let you lead on this one. It's been a while since I've gone dungeon crawling, but I'll try not to slow you down."

Joker nodded, and all three of them walked across the bridge and into the fort.

…

At the end of the drawbridge into the fort, there was a large gate sitting in their way, with two other doorways to each of their sides. On the other side was an open yard, where trucks and tents sat idly. Joker couldn't see any Shadows roaming around nearby, but it would be foolish to assume there was none there.

"You see anything, Joker?"

Joker pulled away from the gate shaking his head, "Nothing special. I don't see any Shadows either."

"Yeah, I thought so. I'm not sensing any nearby. They must be inside the actual fort itself."

"If I might interrupt," Kingpin butted in before Mona could add any more, "Shouldn't we go over the plan?"

Joker and Mona both looked at him confused.

"Uhh...the plan?"

Now Kingpin was the one confused, "You guys do have a plan, right?"

Mona crossed his arms, "Well, kind of. We go in, we look around, secure a route to our objective, and…"

"...and if we run into Shadows, we fight when necessary." Joker finished for him.

"Sounds...chaotic."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I would've thought that the Phantom Thieves wouldn't operate so carelessly…"

Mona was about to interject but he continued, "But then again, my team and I were mostly the same, so I can't blame it."

Joker chuckled lightly while Mona sulked.

"Was that really worth bringing up? C'mon, we've got a job to do you know."

"Calm down, cat. There's no threat."

Now, Mona was angry, and he yelled, "I am NOT a cat!"

Joker just shook his head, "Okay, enough. Let's get moving."

…

The door opened slowly, and Joker peered inside. It was dimly lit, but enough to see what was there. No Shadows, just crates and storage boxes. Some sort of supply room.

He pushed the door fully open and entered, the other two following right behind him.

"You sensing anything, Mona?"

Mona stopped and stood still, concentrating on...something, before he answered, "If you're asking about a Treasure, then...no. I am starting to sense Shadows though. We'd better be on the lookout."

Joker nodded, but Kingpin asked another question, "Hold on, what's a "Treasure"?"

"It's the core of the Palace Ruler's desire, what caused their heart to become distorted. It can be anything."

Joker continued for him, "Stealing the Treasure is what causes the change of heart."

"Ahh, I see...so, what was my Treasure?"

"Your Palace didn't have a Treasure."

"Huh?"

"It's like what I told Joker after we beat your Shadow. I believe that the "Treasure", in your case, was your Shadow-self."

"My Shadow was the Treasure?"

"You lost sight of your true self," Joker said, "That's what caused your Palace to appear."

"I see…" Kingpin said quietly before looking down at the floor.

They stood in silence for a second until he looked back up, "Do you think the same thing that happened with me is what happened to Chie?"

"It's possible. We won't know until we find her Shadow. It's gotta be in here somewhere."

"Keep sniffing it out. For now, we can keep searching the fort. Speak up if you sense it."

…

They entered another room, Joker sneaking inside while the others kept watch. There were tables with radios and communication equipment stacked all around. Once again, no Shadows.

He motioned for the other two to enter, and they all walked in together.

Mona pointed out the obvious, "This must be the communications center."

Kingpin walked over to one of them, noticing how they were all mostly off, and the ones that were activated had nothing coming through. They were old, very old.

"These things are antique," he pointed out, "1940s era stuff. Why is the equipment so old?"

"Must be part of the cognition. This is a pretty old fortress, y'know. It can't be that out of the ordinary."

"That is true. It's just...I don't get it."

…

Right before they were about to leave, they were interrupted.

"Stop right there!"

They all turned back to find two Shadows, dressed in old military uniforms and armed with rifles, stood by the doorway they had entered from. Their appearance and weapons matched the time period of the equipment in the room with them.

"Who are you?! What business do you have here?!"

Kingpin was the one to respond, "We have an urgent matter to discuss with your commanding officer. Take us to them."

"The base is on lockdown until The General returns. If you have business, you will have to come back another time."

"We'd like to see them now…"

"The General is not here! You'd better leave or we'll take you into custody!"

"Not here?" Mona said quietly, "So...is Chie's Shadow not in the Palace?"

The Shadows got closer to them, "They're intruders! Arrest them!"

Kingpin sighed, "So much for negotiating."

Joker looked back at him, "You ready for this?"

His only response was a grin and a, "I've been ready...now bring it on!"

The Shadows transformed into new forms, as two large horse-like creatures with large, spiraling horns, as the three Thieves prepared themselves.

Pause: Counterfeit Phantom - Persona 5: Strikers

Play: Time to Make History - Persona 4: Golden

The two Shadows stood before Joker, who had brandished his knife. Mona and Kingpin ran up next to him with their own weapons.

"You three are intruding on restricted territory! Any act of aggression shall be met with deadly force!"

"Kingpin, it's probably been a while since you've fought in a battle like this," Mona spoke over the Shadow, "Need a breakdown of the basics?"

"Nope. I've got it. Mind if I take the lead on this one?"

"Not at all. Show us what you got."

…

Kingpin put his hand up in the air, a blue card appearing and floating down towards his palm.

He yelled "Izanagi" before clenching his fist and shattering the card, a blue aura surrounding him.

His Persona, Izanagi appeared behind him. It swung the large sword towards one of the Shadows, two massive slashes appearing a second later and slashing the Shadow. The Shadow disintegrated, leaving only the other one left.

"Not bad," Joker said to Kingpin before turning his attention back to the battle.

Joker shouted "Persona!" as he ripped off his mask and summoned Arsène. The pool of Curse energy appeared underneath the Shadow before rising and striking it. The Shadow drooped down but was not defeated.

"Come on, Joker! You gotta do better than that. Here, watch how it's done."

Mona summoned Zorro, his Persona, and attacked the Shadow. A large spring with a boxing glove appeared and struck the Shadow...doing nothing.

"I missed? Really?!" Mona yelled, Joker just shaking his head at him.

The Shadow advanced on Mona and slammed into him, dealing light damage. Mona just shook it off and stood back up.

Kingpin ran up to the last Shadow and slashed it with his sword twice quickly before coming downward with one, heavy strike. The Shadow disintegrated, and he hopped back to the line.

…

Soon after, two more Shadows appeared where the first two had fallen. They were also horse-like creatures, but they lacked hind legs and floated in the air.

"We've got reinforcements!" Mona yelled out, "Take 'em out!"

Kingpin summoned Izanagi once again with a call of "Persona!" before both of the Shadows had massive amounts of lightning bolts strike and envelope them. They were both immobilized, but not defeated.

He turned to Joker, "I'm passing to you. Finish them off."

The two of them clapped hands, and Joker immediately went forward and pulled out his pistol. He aimed at one of the Shadows, firing one shot at each. That was enough to disintegrate that group of Shadows easily.

…

Once again, they weren't done. One final Shadow appeared, a man in red armor riding on a horse with a massive lance in its hand.

"One more! Come on, you guys. We can do this!"

"I got it." Kingpin said, summoning Izanagi once again and attacking with Electricity once again. The lightning bolts struck the Shadow multiple times, and it collapsed to the ground.

The group immediately advanced, surrounding the Shadow, pulling their guns out, and aiming at the Shadow.

"You guys ready? Let's finish it!" Kingpin yelled to Joker and Mona.

The three of them jumped back, grouping up and jumping into the air together. They all then dove at the Shadow, striking and slashing over and over again with their blades.

Kingpin then landed on the ground, turning away from the Shadow while cracking his knuckles and smiling. He said "Better luck next time" right as the Shadow exploded and disintegrated.

No more Shadows came, signaling their victory.

Stop: Time to Make History - Persona 4: Golden

Resume: Counterfeit Phantom - Persona 5: Strikers

Kingpin stretched his arm out while smiling, "Phew. That...felt great."

"You sure it's been ten years, old man?"

He laughed, "Hey, you're gonna be "old" like me one day too, wise guy."

They laughed together.

Mona spoke when they were done, "You're pretty good, Kingpin. It was smart to bring you along."

He then crossed his arms before continuing, "But what that Shadow said before is strange. This "General" isn't here?"

"Do you think that could be Chie's Shadow?"

"I'm not sure. It's possible, but we won't know unless we see it for ourselves. However…"

Joker finished, "We won't know because the Shadow isn't in the Palace."

"That's what I'm thinking."

"Wait, is that even possible?" Kingpin asked, "This is HER Palace. She can't just...leave, right?"

Mona shook his head, "I don't know. But if the Shadow isn't here, then…"

…

He was interrupted by a large siren and a voice blaring over speakers.

"Attention all units. We have intruders within the base. Find them and bring them to the War Room immediately."

Mona hopped off of the table he stood on, "They must've heard us fighting. We can't stay. Let's retreat for now."

Joker and Kingpin both nodded, and they all ran back towards the entrance of the fort.

Stop: Counterfeit Phantom - Persona 5: Strikers

They were back across the drawbridge, facing the fortress as it was roaring with life. They could see Shadows patrolling on the tall towers and upper walls, searching for them.

"They sure woke up in a hurry." Kingpin commented as he stared up at the fortress.

"The Shadows must have been dormant. Guess our fighting was what woke them up."

Mona then turned towards the street nearby, "Come on. We should get out of here."

Joker and Kingpin began to follow, but they were interrupted by a flash of blue.

…

The two of them looked around, noticing a new blue haze over the area. Mona was frozen in place in front of them.

"What...are you seeing this too?" Kingpin asked Joker.

He nodded, just as lights started to shine on the street.

A limousine pulled up next to them, the closest door opening.

"Come inside. We have much to discuss." A mysterious voice said out loud.

The two of them looked at one another, but they did move towards the vehicle.

Kingpin and Joker entered, the latter shutting the door behind him. The vehicle then drove off.

Play: The Poem for Everyone's Souls - Persona series

Kingpin immediately recognized the interior of the vehicle, while Joker examined everything carefully. He still didn't know what this was until they looked over.

There, they saw Igor, sitting with his elbows resting on the small table in front of him. To his left was a woman clad in blue, with golden eyes and blonde hair.

"Is this...the Velvet Room…?"

He then remembered the last time he had spoken with Igor and Lavenza.

"There are many Velvet Rooms just like this one. Each with our same master but a different attendant, like myself."

This must be the Velvet Room of the other Wild Card…

Wait…

…

Igor's laugh interrupted his thoughts, both him and Kingpin looking over at him.

"The Seeker of Truth and the Trickster...what a fascinating duo…" He said between his chuckles.

""Seeker of Truth"...?" Joker said under his breath.

Kingpin was also speaking to himself, ""Trickster"...?"

Igor spoke to Joker, "You have already united with the other Wild Card. I must congratulate you, Trickster."

"Wait…" Joker looked at Kingpin, " You are the other Wild Card?"

" Other Wild Card?"

Something flashed in front of them, and they both took it in their hands.

Wild Cards. Two identical ones.

They looked at the cards, then each other, then at Igor.

Igor chuckled once again, "The union of the two awoken Wild Cards has been complete. And your power has been reawoken as well."

He said the last part to Kingpin, who didn't respond.

…

"So...you have the same power I have?"

Joker nodded, "Yeah, I do. I...didn't expect the one Igor spoke about to be you."

"Heh. Well, I...guess I'm full of surprises."

Joker smiled, but turned his attention to Igor, "Well, it's like you said. Our powers are "united", whatever that means. Now, you mind telling us what you summoned us here for?"

"Indeed I shall. You have already reclaimed one heart lost to its innermost feelings and desires. However, more remain shrouded in grief and sorrow. You have encountered another."

Kingpin spoke this time, "That's right. Chie, but...her Shadow was able to leave its place of distortion. Why is that?"

"Hmm...now this is an unusual matter. The Shadow is normally shackled to the heart it was birthed from. Perhaps there is a connection to the heart that lets them travel away…"

"A connection…?"

…

Kingpin looked at Joker, "Yukiko."

He looked back in shock, as Igor nodded, "Perceptive as always. Just what I'd expected from the Seeker of Truth."

Igor then looked over at the woman, who had remained silent this whole time, "Oh! Where are my manners? Trickster, this is your first time in this Velvet Room, correct?"

Joker nodded, so Igor continued, "Allow me to introduce my assistant here."

The woman looked up at Joker and spoke, "My name is Margaret. I'll be here to guide you on your journey alongside Igor. You were previously assisted by Lavenza, correct?"

"I'm...surprised you know that."

"Us assistants are all fairly acquainted, but that does not matter. Shall you need anything in regards to your Personas, speak with me at any time."

"I will."

Margaret smiled at him, "I look forward to working with you, and it's an honor to work with you again, Seeker."

Kingpin smiled.

…

"Before we depart for today, there is one last thing I must speak of with you two."

The two of them looked at Igor, who continued, "As I stated before, you are the two remaining Wild Cards who have awoken to their powers. There are not many like you, and those before have all been...well, let's not distract ourselves."

"I say this because there is another Wild Card yet lingering…"

Their eyes widened.

"Wait...there's another one just like us?"

"Indeed. However, they have yet to awaken their powers. They remain unaware of the true potential that lies within them. If you may find this third Wild Card, then a great bond will form and a new power awoken."

Joker and Kingpin were both majorly confused, but the limousine came to a stop and Igor spoke again, "Unfortunately, that is all the time we have for today. Until we meet again…"

Their vision started to go white, as the Velvet Room faded away.

…

…

…

Their vision returned, and they were back on the street of the other Inaba, right where they had left.

Mona ran back to them, "What are you two doing?"

Kingpin rubbed his forehead, "Uhh, sorry. We just...were talking."

"Well quit dawdling around. We've gotta get back and talk this over, y'know."

With that, Mona started walking down the street.

Kingpin looked up at Joker, "We need to talk about what just happened."

Joker nodded, "We will, but let's get out first. It's not safe on the streets."

"Right."