Chapter 4

"Phantom Thief?" Aiko repeated. "Hold up! THE Phantom Thieves?!"

Hide stared at Aiko, his left eyebrow slightly raised.

"Who're the Phantom Thieves?" Hide asked her.

"The Phantom Thieves would change the hearts of very bad people." Aiko began. "They worked to make the world a better place."

"Well, we tried to, at least." Joker placed a hand on his hip. "Anyway, on to the topic at hand, I assume you have the MetaNav?" He gestured to Hide.

"MetaNav?"

"It's an app on your phone. Kinda looks like an eye." Joker said.

"Oh, yeah. It installed itself." Hide explained.

"It does that." Joker then turned to the door. "Listen, seeing as how I'm not as free as I used to be, i.e. I have a job and kids, I won't be able to continue my Phantom Thief business as much as I used to. With that said, I'll walk you through the basics and you two can give me a call when you're stuck on other Palaces. That is if you decide to continue. Sound good?"

Hide shrugged as Aiko looked indecisive.

"Anyway, it's best if you come up with code names for yourselves. Can't have the Phantom Thieves running around shouting their real names." Joker informed the two. "I'll let you two come up with the codenames. For now, I'll just call you-" he gestured to Hide. "-'Rookie' and the girl: 'Lady'."

"Whatever, man."

"It's settled. Now, follow me."

Joker proceeded to leave the room with Hide and Aiko following close behind.

They could tell Joker was experienced, seeing as how he dashed through the Palace as if it were a game. Pressing his back to corners, furniture and everywhere he could hide, Hide and Aiko followed in his steps.

Coming across a shadow person, the trio came to a yield.

"Alright." Joker glanced at Hide and Aiko. "I'll show you how to easily ambush Shadows. Watch closely."

Hide nodded his head, firmly.

Watching as the Shadow got closer, Joker suddenly sprung towards it, jumping on its shoulders and ripping off its face.

"Show me your true form!"

As the Shadow burst into a knight riding a horse, Joker jumped back, landing next to Hide.

"Alright, Rookie. Let's see whatchya got!" He then looked to Aiko. "Lady, stand back. Don't want ya to get hurt."

Aiko did as told and stood a safe distance away.

As Joker brandished a knife, and Hide his sword, the two prepared to face off against the Shadow.

"Let's see what you got, Rookie." Joker glanced over at Hide.

"You got it!" Hide smirked.

Rushing the Shadow, Hide slashed at it twice in an X motion, before leaping up for a third, and final, slash. Jumping back, Joker rushed in next. Starting with a leaping attack, Joker slashed two more times before jumping back and pulling a gun out from his coat. Firing off a shot, the Shadow fell to the ground, dazed.

"Alright, we got another go!" Joker smirked. "Follow my lead, Rookie. Time to go All Out!"

Attacking the Shadow together, Hide and Joker jumped back. Hide watched as Joker pulled on his gloves, the Shadow bursting behind him.

"The show's over."

Hide stood still, pretty impressed.

"You have a gun?" Hide asked.

"Yeah." Joker nodded as he placed a hand on his hip. "In the real world, it's completely harmless. But inside palaces, it works like a usual gun."

"I'm not following." Aiko said softly.

Joker showed his gun to the duo.

"Because it's so realistic looking, the Shadows here believe it is. Therefore, in here, it works like any other gun."

Joker reached back and pulled a lever action shotgun off his hip.

"A friend of mine used a gun like this." Joker said. "Here. Try it out next time." Joker tossed the shotgun to Hide.

Catching it, Hide placed it on his back.

"Thanks."

With that out of the way, the trio began heading further into the palace. Along the way, Joker continued to provide useful information.

"Alright, listen up: each palace has a sort of security system." Joker began. "If the Shadows are alerted to your presence too much, they'll have backup for almost each encounter. It'll make fighting them that much more exhausting. Along with that, in order to have the Ruler endure a change of heart, you must steal their distorted desires. We'll come back to that later."

Aiko and Hide continued to follow Joker. Coming to a deadend, Hide looked around for a way to proceed.

"Dead end."

Joker looked up, a smirk on his face.

"Not quite." He then approached Hide.

Grabbing his wrist, Joker attached a small device to it before doing the same for Aiko.

"You can use this grappling hook to reach that level up there." Joker pointed to a higher floor. It appeared to be some sort of catwalk. "Watch."

Launching his own grappling hook, Joker was quickly pulled up to the catwalk. Looking down at their own devices, Hide and Aiko hesitantly followed.

Hide landed perfectly fine, but Aiko's footing slipped upon contact. Quickly catching her, Hide pulled Aiko close.

"You okay?" He asked.

Aiko, noticing Hide was practically hugging her, pushed him away as her cheeks began to turn a pinkish color.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Aiko fixed her hair, which wasn't even messy. "Dummy."

Hide raised an eyebrow before Joker got their attention.

"Alright." Hide and Aiko joined Joker, who was looking down at something on the opposite side of the catwalk. "Let's keep going."

An hour later

Arriving at the far back of the theater, the trio was met with a single door. Opening it slowly, they saw it, looked to be, a director's room. A misty cloud floated in the center of the room.

"And there's the treasure." Joker said as he crossed his arms.

"This... cloud?" Aiko said as she slowly approached. "Don't seem like much."

"Every desire is like this until the Ruler manifests it." Joker explained.

"Huh?"

"Let me explain; once the Ruler is aware their desire is threatened to be stolen, it manifests into an object." Joker began. "Steal that object, and you'll steal the Ruler's desires. They'll feel immense guilt and confess their crimes."

"Sounds simple enough." Hide shrugged.

"Anyway, now that we know where the treasure is, let's go make the calling card."

Aiko immediately perked at hearing that.

"The calling card?!" She said excitedly. "That's not just for show?"

"It's how we get the ruler to manifest their treasure." Joker explained. "C'mon. Let's get outta here."

Half an hour later

Making their way back through the palace was a lot easier. Arriving at the exit, the trio left the palace.

"Last bit of info before we return to the real world." Joker said, getting the teens' attention. "The Rulers don't know what happens in their palaces. None of it."

Hide and Aiko shared a quick glance. When they looked back, Joker was gone.

Without much else to do, the two teens returned to reality.

Standing in their casual clothes, Hide looked around.

"Looks like we made it back." Hide stated.

"What gave that away?" Aiko asked with a smirk. "Well, you heard Joker. I'll get to work on that calling card. You should rest. After all that fighting, I bet you're exhausted."

Hide rolled his eyes as the two began their way back home.

The next day

Receiving a text from Joker to meet up in Shibuya, the trio began to plan the delivery of the card. As one would expect, Joker's mask was gone.

"You're Joker, huh?" Aiko raised an eyebrow at the man.

"The real name's Ren Amamiya." Joker replied. "Ya got the card?"

"Sure do." Aiko said as she handed over the calling card.

"Great." Ren pocketed the card. "I'll make duplicates and spread 'em around a bit before dropping one off to Kazuto. See you guys in the Palace."

With that, Ren walked away.

A few hours later

Meeting back up in the Palace, now on high alert, Hide and Aiko turned around as Joker approached.

"Hm?" Joker looked to Aiko. "She's coming?"

"Damn straight!" Aiko smirked.

Joker shrugged.

"Alright. Let's get this thing!"

Sneaking their way back to the treasure, Joker walked up to, what seemed to be, a notebook hovering in mid air.

"This is the treasure?" Aiko raised an eyebrow as she grabbed the notebook. Flipping through the pages, Aiko immediately realized what it was. "Ah. It's the script to a movie."

"Great. Grab it and let's go!"

With the treasure in hand, the trio began their escape. However, once the three made it onto the stage of the theater, they skidded to a halt upon seeing Kazuto waiting for them with a half dozen shadows.

"Did you really think it'd be that easy?" Kazuto taunted.

"Step aside, Kazuto!" Aiko ordered. "We're gonna change your heart!"

"Really?" Kazuto chuckled. "We'll see."

With a glance upwards, two shadows dropped from the catwalk, landing on both Hide and Joker.

"Damn." Joker grunted out under the weight of the Shadow. "Should'a seen that comin'."

"I'm going to kill your friends." Kazuto told Aiko. "Then I'll force you to sell your body to pay back the money you owe." Kazuto began to laugh.

Aiko clenched her fists, clearly getting pissed off.

"Just like I did to your friends Rem and Kami."

"Shut your goddamn mouth, you sonuvabitch!" Aiko yelled as she stomped her foot.

"Whoa."

"I've lived in constant fear of what you'd do to me if I couldn't pay up." Aiko said. "But I am done with that shit! I'm done living under your thumb! I'm gonna make you regret everything!"

"So, you've finally opened your eyes." A voice in Aiko's head spoke softly. "Have you finally had enough? Are you ready to finally stand up for yourself?"

"Yes." Aiko said, sternly.

"Then let's proceed with the contract."

A sudden ache in Aiko's head made her grasp both of her head. "I am thou, thou art I." The voice continued as Aiko writhed in pain. "Use my power and release thy rage. Force him to endure the same pain you have. Borrow my strength and enact your revenge!"

"You're right, Artemis." Aiko said as the pain subsided.

Slowly, Aiko rose to her feet, a white mask with a sky blue outline appeared over her eyes.

"I won't let him get away with what he's done!" Aiko growled as she gripped one side of her mask.

Wincing as she pulled, tearing her flesh, Aiko endured the pain before ripping the mask off her face. A blue flame erupted under her feet as Aiko screamed.

Once it all died down, Aiko was standing before Kazuto, in a whole new outfit. Her hair was tied in a massive braid down her back. Wearing a red coat that had three coattails, Aiko smirked. Under the coat, Aiko wore a red leotard, as well as a pair of red thigh high boots.

Wielding an ordinary looking cane, Aiko turned around and attacked the two shadows pinning Joker and Hide.

Hitting the first one with the butt of her cane, Aiko grabbed the grip and pulled, a long, skinny blade sliding out of the cane as she slashed the second Shadow. Twirling the blade, she plunged it into the first Shadow, killing both and freeing her comrades.

"Alright, Kazuto." Aiko cracked her knuckles. "Your turn."

End of chapter 4