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Green Day (2)

Sunday—June 14, 2021

Two young women sat underneath a thick birch tree, taking residence on the bench in the middle of Central Park. The streets were quiet and the only light provided came from the street's flickering lampposts. Both sat, chatting idly and unassuming, wrapped up in their jackets. They appeared unaware of their surroundings or the group of people moving swiftly from all around, saying nothing and making no noise. The blonde leaned back and opened her book, eyes cast downward and head bent. The redhead merely began tapping away on her phone, murmuring things here and there.

The group of men began to close their circle as if they were lions on the hunt, prowling around their prey before dealing the killing strike. The tallest one came up directly behind the women, who still did not hear them approaching from the back. The tallest man reached out a hand while the other held a knife at his side. His fingers were about to tangle themselves in the redhead's hair, centimeters away, when the blonde whipped around with wide eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asked shrilly, throwing a hand up to her mouth to stifle her gasp. "Who are you?"

The redhead spun in her seat and leaped back with a shriek, eyes travelling to the outstretched hand and the knife in the other.

"Don't worry," the tallest man said and took a menacing step closer. "Come quietly and I will be happy to introduce myself."

"Quietly?" the redhead echoed softly and innocently. "Why? What do you want?"

"No fuss," a gruff voice said.

"Be patient, Yaxley," the tallest man said and held up a hand to the stout man. "These girls are our friends."

"Friends?" the blonde asked and tipped her head to the side as if she was merely confused by a question in class. "Who are you? We don't know you."

"That's how all friends begin," the tallest man said smoothly, voice cold and silky. "Strangers."

The blonde hummed thoughtfully as she stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jacket, trying to appear smaller. She bit her lip and looked at the men through her thick eyelashes.

"What do you want with me though?"

"To talk," the tallest man replied and sighed, putting a hand to his chest to gesture to himself. "I am Falks. Sweet lady, would you mind telling me yours?"

"W-wait?" the blonde said and took a step back. "You didn't just call me sweet, did you?"

"Did you like it?" the tallest man, Falks, asked with a bit of a smile too sinister to be good.

"Is that what you tell the other girls?" the redhead piped up with that same, innocent look. She blinked owlishly at him and folded her hands neatly in front of her.

"What?" Falks barked.

"Before you strike them down?" the redhead said and tilted her head to the side again, eyes never leaving the men closing the distance between them.

"I don't wanna get dirty, but I sure ain't afraid to," a new voice said from somewhere to the left. A man with a hood came forward, green eyes narrowing themselves at the two women. "So why don't you shut the fuck up and come with me before I take you in pieces?"

"That's horrible!" the blonde said in anguish and shook her head, trying to hunch her shoulders. "Why would you say something like that?"

"Boss ain't any nicer than me, so play along or deal with him next," the vulgar man said and made a grab for the redhead.

Instinctively, she did a backwards handspring to avoid the touch and pulled out a gymnast's ribbon, twirling it around her body. The men around her were slightly taken aback by the sudden and most random action, but as she began to dance on her toes, they closed the circle tighter, lunging for both girls.

"Now!"

"Hey, assholes! Look up…."

The men all looked around at the new voices before they finally peered up to the sky….or at least the treetops. From overhead, the men could see different silhouettes leaping around the branches like monkeys, swinging and flying this way and that, making it impossible to tell who they were or how many there were.

"What the hell…?" Yaxley breathed and aimed a gun up at the trees.

The first shot rang out, followed by a few more. However, he was hitting nothing but leaves that trembled and fell to the ground, drifting from side to side. Falks threw out his hand with a hiss.

"Stop, you'll draw too much attention!"

"We have silencers," Yaxley whined.

"Shut up!"

"Missed," came a singsong voice.

"Missed again," came a different, taunting voice.

There was a pregnant moment of silence in which neither party said anything. The girls had long left, using their momentary distraction as means to escape.

"Not really impressive," came a female voice, one that sounded strangely like the blonde girl that was cornered just a few moments ago. "Maybe we can teach them how it's done."

"Or better yet," came another female voice, one that definitely came from the redhead earlier. "We show them."

Without warning, a dagger came flying from seemingly nowhere, a red card stuck to its tip. The knife was nothing extravagant, something one would find from a kitchen, but it was not the weapon that posed the shock or threat. It was the card.

"What is this?" Falks said and cautiously approached it, using his phone's flashlight to read it. "Bullshit."

"What's it saying?" Yaxley asked and bounded over to Falks, trying to peer through the darkness. He eventually gave up and removed it from the knife's point, inhaling deeply as he read it out loud. "Holy shit, Bernard."

"Don't use my name!" Falks snarled and grabbed his man by the collar of his shirt, lifting him off his feet by a few inches.

"N-no!" Yaxley choked out as he waved a hand, frantically shoving the card into Falks's chest with staggering gasps. "Look!"

Falks looked down at the card before seizing it, dropping Yaxley to the ground and panting with ire.

I cry from the depths of the inferno, please save me. Only truth will set me free, but you have reaped the seeds of these lies….

Now I call upon your name, Bernard Gahr; I am tethered to this netherworld, but I will take these chains and bind you to Hell. You and I will be together like you promised me. I will steal your heart as you have stolen mine. That is the promise of a Thief.

"W-what is this?" Falks, or Bernard Gahr, snapped and crumpled the card in his fist. He whipped around to address the rest of his men and bared his teeth. "Find the girls. Don't stop until you do."

.oOo.

"Ready?" Ren asked from his perch, poised with his phone out.

"You owe us," Ann murmured from his left and gave him a playful but gentle nudge. "We're always ready, Leader."

"Take us away, Joker," Morgana mewed from one branch higher, flicking his tail as his nails came out.

Ren began the navigation, waiting for the world to distort and recreate itself. As predicted, he and the others now found themselves in an empty Central Park with a single building in the center; however, it looked different….less abandoned and lights bloomed from almost every window, lighting up the park and casting away the darkness….and their hiding spots.

"Shit," Ryuji said as he looked at the new phenomenon with some discouragement. "There goes our stealth."

"We're Phantom Thieves," Morgana muttered impatiently and unsheathed his sword, shaking his head with exasperation. "Stealth is the one thing a Phantom Thief can do regardless of the circumstances."

"I thought it was steal, but m'kay!" Ryuji said with a merry shrug.

"Let's focus," Makoto's voice said, sounding not too far. She waved a hand to help them find her and Haru.

"I'm here, too," sang a high-pitched voice.

"Everyone is," Ren confirmed and checked himself. He pulled out his phone and frowned. "I don't think all the warp lights will work anymore….not that I trust to use them now."

"Why not?" Sumire asked.

"Security is high, it always is when we send a calling card," Ren stated factually and sighed, running a hand over his mouth as he pulled back a branch to get a better look at what was to come. "I may have an idea."

"I can tell you which warp lights are safe," Sophia said suddenly, blinking as she pointed forward. "Oracle programmed them through my system."

Ren gaped at her for a few seconds before he cleared his throat and leaned back, allowing the branch to hide them better once more. "Really?"

"The warp light to the complex is safe," Sophia said and tilted her head to the side, closing her eyes as she concentrated. "The warp light to the basement is unsafe. However, the second floor warp light to the roof is safe."

"Anything in between?" Ren inquired, pressing for more information to avoid jumping in head-first.

"There are Shadows on every floor….every other place is unsafe," Sophia said and held up a finger to prevent anyone from interrupting her. "But these can change if the Shadows move around."

"Got it," Ren said and dipped his head in a show of gratitude. "Thank you, Sophie."

She beamed at him and leaped from the branches without another word. Ren stifled a groan of disapproval and went after her before she strayed too far. He followed close behind, nimble feet making no noise on the grass. He dodged out of sight of several Shadows, making it to the nearest warp light that would take them just outside the complex. He made sure the rest of the group was able to follow without complications before he had Ryuji lead the first party. Ann led the second group shortly afterwards.

Ren snagged Goro before he could jump in.

"What?" the Black Mask grunted impatiently, evidently expecting criticism.

"Stay on my left," the Trickster replied earnestly and gave him an even look, one that portrayed trust.

Goro's expression melted into determination as he nodded; he jumped into the warp light and disappeared from sight, though he was closely followed by Ren. Together, they managed to make it to the outside of the complex with little problems. However, the moment they saw the complex up close, they realized the plethora of Shadows lingering around the front door and hallways. Even the rooms that were once empty were no longer vacant. This would make moving around much harder.

"Remember we travelled by the ceiling beams?" Haru prompted helpfully and rested her axe on her shoulder. "It's the only way we can now."

"And vents," Ryuji said.

"Great," Ann said sarcastically and sighed a bit, biting her lip. "Two of my least favorite ways of getting around. Still….it beats wasting time fighting every Shadow that we come by."

"Well said, Lady Panther," Morgana said with a purr, tail waving from side to side. "We have to take turns but we need to still stay together. If we have any hope of confronting Gahr, we need to do it together."

Ren nodded in agreement and threw out his grappling hook, taking Haru by the waist and helping her up to the second floor; Ren was sure he miscalculated the distance and would end up coming up short, but Haru managed to dig her axe into the bricks and hold them there. Ren was able to pull himself through the second-floor window of a dark room, crouching and waiting silently as the others made their way up. Haru had the sense to close the door to the room, shrouding them in blackness.

Once Ryuji, the last one to climb through, clambered inside, the Phantom Thieves all began to devise their roles and come up with a plan. Ren searched the apartment for vents they could use to sneak around, but came up with nothing until Sumire pointed to one in the kitchen above the cabinets.

"That's so gross," Ann said dejectedly as Yusuke stood on the counter and slowly prised apart the metal, wiping away the cobwebs. She grumbled unhappily and tied her hair back even more. "Skull, you better keep your head down the entire time."

"Let's go," Makoto said a bit impatiently and pushed the two before they could start bickering.

"How are the others going to get around?" Sumire asked as she realized there was no way the boys could fit.

"The beams," Ren replied and gestured to the building. "It's industrialistic; there are support beams that run in and through every room. We'll get around that way."

"How do you know where to meet up?" Haru asked in concern, transforming her axe into its portable necklace.

"His apartment is on the ninth floor," Ren apprised and tilted his chin towards its general direction. "It is the only door with no date. That's where his Haven is strongest. If anything, our best plan is to draw him there if he isn't already."

"His Treasure will most likely manifest in his own apartment," Goro added.

"Got it," Haru said with a nod, giving him a reassuring smile. "We'll meet you on the ninth floor."

"Sophie, you're with us," Ren said before she could climb in after them. "Mona's going with the girls."

Sophia blinked then bobbed her head up and down with enthusiasm. "Okay!"

The four boys and Sophia headed out of the room, sneaking around the corners of debris before finding a place where they could climb. Finally, Ren was able to find them a warehouse shelving unit that took them about ten or twelve feet off the ground, just high enough where Ren could jump the rest of the three feet to the beams above. He was quick to ensure they were alone before swiftly scaling the shelves, wincing at how much noise metal made upon contact. He hastened his pace and got to the top, extending a hand for everyone else.

Just as Yusuke's knees touched the top shelf, a Shadow came rounding the corner, emitting a red smoke. Sophia, who was leaning dangerously close to the edge, almost overbalanced. Ryuji caught her around the waist and pulled her back, throwing a hand over her mouth to prevent her from crying out or saying anything. Ren held his breath as the Shadow stopped patrolling and started looking around. He hated the way the dim lights were giving away their hiding spots, but he kept still enough to make no noise.

"Hearing things…." the Shadow muttered to itself, continuing down the hallway. "Probably haunted. That's why it came at such a low price."

Ren released his breath and looked up at the beams just feet above. If he jumped, he would make it, but he could not overshoot and make too much noise on the landing. He looked at the ground then at the beam as if calculating the distance. He took half a step back then threw himself into the air, hand catching a groove in the metal. With his momentum, he was able to flip himself onto the beam and land neatly. The others managed to follow in suit, each perched awkwardly on the narrow support.

"Staircase was over there," Ren said and pointed down to their left. "That's our best bet. If we can't travel by stairs, we go by elevator shaft."

"That's a statistic waitin' to happen," Ryuji muttered but flashed him a grin. "Kidding, kidding. I'm goin'."

Ren rolled his eyes and began treading lightly, footsteps carefully placed to prevent detection from below. Traveling this way made the journey much slower and after what felt like ten years, they finally came across the elevators.

"Now what?" Ryuji asked.

Yusuke landed first, shoving the blade of his katana between the elevator doors and prying them open just wide enough for them to all fit through. Ren went first, peeking down to see just how far it was before he looked up—without it in sight, he could only pray the elevator was turned off. He grasped the rungs of the ladder and began his ascension, taking two at a time to make sure the last one had enough time to react should the elevator pass them. He could hear nothing aside from the heavy breathing of his friend below.

"How does your coat not get caught on shit?" Ryuji muttered and groaned. "I can barely see past it when it's all flared out like that."

"Deal with it," Ren retorted unsympathetically and froze when he heard banging from below. "Stop!"

The other boys came to a halt and strained their ears, listening to the sound of distant rumbling. Ryuji grimaced as he looked up at Ren, who was looking down at them.

"Think they heard us?" Goro snorted sarcastically.

Just as he asked, the doors to the first floor flew open, revealing another Oni Shadow. The boys and Sophia immediately froze, holding their breath, not daring to move a muscle. At first, the Oni seemed to lose interest in the shaft after it could not detect anything in close proximity. Unfortunately, it looked up and spotted the Thieves immediately.

"Climb!" Yusuke shouted.

The four boys bellowed as they all scrambled up the ladder; Ren had never moved so fast and if he was in PE doing this, he would have been top of the class. The Oni was climbing, too, but its bulky size made it harder for it to move around in this smaller space. Ren looked at his friends and Yusuke, who was last, before he leaped off the ladder and dug the blade of his dagger into the stone to keep him in place.

"Joker!" Sophie exclaimed.

"Go," Ren said breathlessly and nodded reassuringly. "I'm right behind you."

He kicked himself off the wall and drove his heel into the Oni's face, knocking it down several feet. He swung up and clung to the rungs, trying to regain his footing. The Oni bellowed from beneath and began climbing so vigorously, the ladder shook. Ren began to pant as the climb got longer—and based on the number of doors they passed, they were only on the seventh floor. Now, Ren could vaguely see the silhouette of the Oni coming right back up. Its heavy weight slowed it down, but it was ripping off the rungs to prevent them from coming back the way they came.

"Shit!" Ryuji said from overhead, arms reaching out as he balanced precariously on the narrow ledge. He slammed his fist against the doors, angry he could not pry it open.

"Here!" Ren shouted and tossed him the knife. He did not want to panic Ryuji (seeing as he most likely knew the Shadow was coming and steadily closing the distance).

The blonde caught it nimbly and used it to wrench the doors open just enough for him to get his body through. With his back and legs, Ryuji shoved the doors open wide to reveal the empty hallway of the ninth floor. He climbed through first, followed by Yusuke. Sophia was next, but she had lost her footing in her haste and slipped backward, scrambling madly but unable to grasp the rung. Ren watched it in slow motion, grabbing her wrist at the last second and taking both of their weight in one arm.

"Joker!"

"Sophie's down, man!" Ryuji shouted to Yusuke, who got down on his stomach and held out an arm. Ryuji copied him and called out. "Grab my hand, Joker!"

"No," Ren gasped as beads of sweat dotted his forehead, shoulder going numb from the deadweight. "Take her!"

He needed her off his arm, but he couldn't bring her up high enough alone. Ren choked back a howl of pain as his shoulder popped. His hand and arm gave out, but not before he kicked against the wall and twisted his body, flinging Sophia up with his momentum. Ren heard a sharp smack of metal, but Ryuji exclaimed victoriously, which meant she was caught….

Ren fell an entire floor—he saw the door to the eighth floor zoom past. He did his best to twist his body again and catch his fall on a rung, but his weight was too much and his speed was too great. The moment his fingers made contact with the metal, his left arm gave out and so did the rung. Both broke off, sending Ren right back to tumbling down.

Seventh floor….sixth floor….fifth floor….

Ren was sure he was not going to think his way out of this one. Before he could ponder it, something more painful than a dislocated shoulder brought him reeling to the present. Blood sprayed the walls—his blood—but he stopped falling. Ren picked up his head and stared into the eyes of the Oni Shadow, who had grabbed him and pinned him against the wall with a single hand.

"Give up!"

Ren struggled vainly to pull out his handgun, shooting it in the torso. It was just enough for the Oni to let him go and as he fell, he shot the Shadow's hand, forcing it to let go of the ladder; together, they plummeted. He could vaguely hear someone calling his name though he wasn't completely sure. His body ached but he had one last surge of energy as one voice spoke clearer than everything else.

"My wings are for thou."

"Come, Arsène!"

Ren felt himself shoot upward as if someone had shot him from a canon. He could feel something strange along his shoulders, like extra appendages, and focused with everything he had on that feeling. He kicked off the wall again and threw himself at the doors of the elevator, praying he wouldn't miss. His fingers gripped the ledge tightly, unwilling to let go now when he was so close. He managed to haul himself up just enough to get one elbow on, but he had nothing left in him. If it were not for the hand that caught him, he would have fallen back down.

"Wake up, fool!"

Ren's ears pricked at the familiar voice; he picked his head up and began hoisting himself up again; together, Goro managed to get him on the ninth floor, where he sat there, doubled over, panting.

"You would think it would get easier," Goro grunted as he put a hand on Ren's shoulder, holding out a phial of blue liquid. "Hurry up. We're vulnerable out here."

Ren murmured his thanks and downed it in one go, feeling the life surging back. He rose to his feet and tossed the bottle away, looking around to make sure everyone was well. Once he had laid eyes on everyone, he focused on their next problem….regrouping with everyone else. It was a large complex and they were not specific when they said to meet on the ninth floor.

"We'll find them," Goro said as if reading his mind. He gave him a reassuring dip of his head and turned his attention to the other three. "Is everyone else accounted for?"

"By that, I'm guessin' you're askin' if we're okay," Ryuji said and hooked his thumbs into the belt of his ammunition. "So yeah, we're all good. We didn't get hit."

"All good as Ryuji would say!" Sophia chirped, always in that bright mood. Perhaps it was an AI thing, but she was hardly seen in a bad mood.

Ren pushed himself to his feet and winced as he rubbed the corners of his eyes wearily. "I'm fine. We should keep moving."

"Dude, you sure?"

Ren was touched at his friend's persistent concern, but he wanted to put as much distance between them and the Oni as quickly as he could. He patted the folds of his tailcoat and bit his lip; both his weapons were gone, but he was not going to ponder that now nor was he going to tell them and make them worry all over again.

"Everyone's waiting," he said with a confident nod. He forced himself to start walking albeit even with the snuff soul, he was still sore and achy.

The others had no choice but to follow as Ren led them around the ninth floor; Ryuji, who never had a good inside voice, turned to Yusuke.

"I swear, that guy doesn't know his limits."

Ren gave them a silencing look as he held up a hand, listening hard to the scampering footsteps. Either it was a series of smaller Shadows or—

"Noir!"

Haru skidded around the corner and slammed into Ren, steadied by his helping hand. She gave him a grateful nod and put her hand to her chest.

"Goodness! We found Gahr's apartment."

"Wait, seriously?" Ryuji balked.

"It's not far from here," Ann said as she came up behind Haru, bending over with her hands on her knees. "But there are a ton of Shadows hanging around there. It's so heavily guarded."

"How many?" Ren asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"Twelve at the least," Makoto said as she joined them. "And most of them are ridiculously strong. I can feel it."

"What do we do, Leader?" Yusuke asked, turning to him.

It didn't take long for him to decide.

"Draw them away and regroup at his flat."

"Excellent," Ann said and grinned as she gestured to the boys. "This time, I have the plan…."

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

"Helloooo? Yo, I heard there's some sketchy guys lurkin' around. Y'all wouldn't happen to see 'em, have ya?"

Ryuji grinned impishly as the Shadows took off after him. He tore off down the hall, having to slow down to make sure they followed without losing him. Ryuji rounded the corner where Goro and Yusuke both used their long swords to impale their victims. The Shadows let out a moan before dissipating.

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

"I can't believe Panther's makin' us do this!"

"You're telling me," Ren muttered in embarrassment. "Go!"

Ryuji called out in a singsong voice as he stuck out a leg seductively….or rather it was meant to be seductive. Ren threw Ann a bit of a dirty glare before he stepped out from their hiding spot and wolf-whistled as Ryuji ran a hand suggestively up his leg, bending over dramatically. Yusuke clicked his tongue as a pair of hands shoved him from the back. The artist held up his fingers to frame Ryuji as if admiring a portrait of a fine woman.

"Such beauty!" he exclaimed loudly, attempting to draw the rest of the Shadows around. "And to think my muse was standing here all along!"

Goro snickered with the girls.

"Ready?" Sophia asked.

The Shadow raised its weapon, ready to strike, when Ann, Sumire, and Haru came surging forward, their own weapons brandished. Ann leapt into the air and pulled out her gun, sending bullets into its head. Ren had to jump back to avoid her whip, making sure he didn't get caught up in it. He and Ryuji just stood back and watched the women take down the last of the Shadows with relative ease, looking not impressed (these were very capable women after all) but definitely in awe at their style.

Ren walked over to Ann and put a hand on her shoulder. "Excellent. Where is his flat?"

"Not far," Ann replied and wrapped her whip around her arm a few times, looking over her shoulder; she began to lead the way.

The others followed close behind until the Phantom Thieves were just outside the barred door. At first, no one moved because no one knew what to do next. The door, unsurprisingly, was locked, but Ren did not see a padlock on the outside, which meant Gahr had not expected them to get here so quickly.

"We're a few steps ahead of him," Ren concluded and rubbed the pads of his fingers on his palms. "Let's try to stay there."

"Any ideas on how we getting through?" Ryuji muttered.

Ren leaned back and drove his heel into the door, slamming it open with a resounding bang. The door handle punched a hole in the wall, but Ren could hardly care. He slid into the flat, expecting to see some grandiose interior, but was disappointed by the lack of originality. He held his breath, trying to detect a whisper of sound, but he could barely hear a thing over their heavy breathing.

"You're here…?"

Ren whipped around, nearly jumping a foot in the air. He gasped and braced defensively for an attack, eyes watching as a complete stranger emerged from the depths of the shadows. Still, this complete stranger was still familiar—a face he had seen in the park not long ago.

"Look at this ragtag team," Shadow Gahr said smoothly as his eyes travelled over the pack. "What a strange alliance."

"Big whoop," Ryuji crowed, unimpressed, and sounded bored. "So this the guy who's ass we're gonna kick?"

Shadow Gahr let out a rich laugh, one that caused him to throw his head back in amusement. He shook his head and smiled, almost like he was enjoying the threat instead.

"Asshole…." Ryuji muttered.

"You sure are a loud-mouth!" Shadow Gahr replied and narrowed his eyes at the blonde with the skull mask.

"We've heard enough," Ann snapped and rolled her blue eyes garishly. "You know what you do to your victims. They may not have the courage to speak up yet, but your actions scream your crimes."

"Oh-ho!" Shadow Gahr said excitedly and clapped his hands eagerly. He pointed a finger at Ann. "Bold and fiery. I like that!"

"Do you want to find out?" Makoto snarled and curled her hands into fists. "We'd be happy to show you."

Sumire stepped forward, sword unsheathed as she aimed it at the Shadow. "It'll be our grand finale!"

Haru displayed her double-sided axe and rested it on her shoulder. "You've oppressed all these women, but worst of all, you made sure they had no say….no voice. What you've done is despicable."

"Not to mention the roots of the seeds of your past," Yusuke growled and pointed an accusing finger at Shadow Gahr. "Your secret will be exposed for the world! Bared naked to the eyes of the public! We will make sure of it!"

Shadow Gahr looked at the speakers in turn before he finally laid eyes on Ren. "I've heard everyone but you."

"They've said it," Ren replied smugly, shrugging one shoulder as he remained in his defensive stance, regardless of whether Shadow Gahr looked like he was going to attack or not.

"I would almost find it hard to believe if you were the leader."

Ren knew these were vain attempts to distract him from what he came for; beside him, he could feel Morgana buzz, which meant the feline sensed the Treasure nearby. If only they could slip away….

"I'm just the side character," Ren answered vaguely, hardly paying attention to what he was saying. His eyes were trying to scan the area without making it look obvious; speaking would buy him time after all.

"Oh, no," Shadow Gahr said with a shake of his head, unconvinced. He pointed a finger at the teen and broke out into a smile far too wide to be considered normal. "You're the main protagonist….silent, but the one."

The ravenette just grunted in response, having no response for that. He spotted a door behind the Shadow that Ren assumed held the Treasure; with that in his sights, he was locked onto his target.

"We still know so little about you," Shadow Gahr said, voice breaking through his thoughts. "Or….at least they do. I know everything about you, Protagonist….or Amamiya Ren."

This time, the Shadow really did capture his attention. Ren snapped his head up as his eyes widened slightly with shock; he did not mean to display such a reaction, but hearing his name come from a stranger's voice felt wrong. He stiffened as Shadow Gahr laughed again, hollow and sinister.

"I've seen it all, Ren—"

"Don't call me that," Ren snapped, hands curling into fists at his side; his anger rose and it was becoming harder to quell it.

The Shadow was first to send a strike; Ren threw his arms up in an 'X' to protect his face, the blast bouncing off harmlessly.

"Is that not your name?" Shadow Gahr pressed then threw up his hands with a shrug of his shoulders. "Ah, well, with each memory you provided my rooms, I gained a bit of your soul. Your fears, your hopes, and your desires….I will admit, they are unusual for a teenage boy."

The Shadow let out another gust of wind, only for Ren to dodge it with ease. He touched his mask lightly, fingers barely brushing over the surface.

"Your criminal record still haunts you," Shadow Gahr said with a melodic hum, tapping his chin with his fingers. "You and I have that in common, boy….wrongly accused….cast out because of it….bullied in school for being the kid no one wants to be around…."

Ren gritted his teeth as he felt the eyes of his friends slowly drift over to him, flickering, however, as they were not sure whether to stare at him or not.

"Nothing but a burden to our parents…." Shadow Gahr continued, his voice growing uncharacteristically soft; he hung his head as he threw his arms out wide as if exposing himself, too. "Parents who couldn't even bother to look at us as their own flesh and blood….no, all they saw was a financial burden. The reason we put them into bankruptcy."

"You and Joker are nothing alike," Morgana cut in and growled, ears flattening. "Our Leader has morals….he would never hurt people the way you do."

"Yeah!" Ryuji jumped in, coming to his side. "You're full of shit, Gahr!"

Ren was grateful his friends spoke up, but Shadow Gahr hardly seemed to hear them. His eyes were locked onto his own, unable to look away as if attracted by some invisible, magnetic force.

"There's one more thing," the Shadow said slowly, lifting up one finger for emphasis. His smile grew wider as he watched Ren break out in a nervous sweat. "You and I both know, too. Surely they know ."

Ren's breath hitched as his mind began to reel; exposing his past with his parents, his family, and everything in between was okay. Having his insecurities about his label was not really a secret given how he would react to them….even the secrets about driving his family into bankruptcy was no longer a long lost confession. They knew he did not come from money, which was why he had picked up so many part-time jobs. No, none of that mattered. It paled in comparison to Gahr's assumption—an assumption that was accurate.

"Perhaps you remember the promise I made," Shadow Gahr lamented as he mourned over the memory Ren knew was of him and Hector. "The power you have over someone who puts their blind faith in you….it's invigorating."

"Don't," Ren moaned, his voice soft but pleading. "Please."

"What will it be, Leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts? Has someone finally sto—"

The Shadow of Gahr never got to finish; Ren charged forward with a cry. He bore no weapons, but he went for the Shadow's neck with nothing but his hands; the rest of the Phantom Thieves tried leaping into action, but Shadow Gahr used his heavier weight to pin Ren down with a foot to his chest. Ren hacked and sputtered, but the Shadow shook his head and snapped his fingers. Similar to the chains that bound Ren as it seeped intimate memories, metal clasped themselves around his wrists.

"Let him go!" Yusuke demanded as he unsheathed his katana, ready to fight.

"He's as good as dead," Shadow Gahr said, then tilted his head to the sky, crying out. "Isn't that what you wanted? Eh? A finale to your game?"

Without warning, a barrier of light encased them in a cage. Ryuji thrust himself forward, only to bounce off the wall with a bang. He howled in pain as he rolled to the ground, wincing as he tried swiping away at something that was not visible.

The Shadow let out a ragged exhalation and slumped his shoulders, releasing blow after blow. "You're so afraid of your own feelings!"

Ren's vision blurred dangerously as he fought to keep consciousness, trying to dodge the attacks the best he could. Still, everything was happening too fast, coming by too much. He was afraid….afraid of this Shadow….afraid of what Gahr had over him….afraid of what he knew. Ren finally spit out the words to summon his Persona.

"Come, Arsène!"

Ren's mask scintillated in blue flames before they died out, barely lasting for more than a second or two. He tried again, but to no avail. He rolled away from the Shadow to avoid a boot to the face and sat up, back against the wall.

"Arsène!"

Nothing.

"That's right," Shadow Gahr sneered as he yanked off Ren's mask slowly, peeling it back as his blood soaked his fingers. "Hide behind that mask! You are nothing without it. Hide your true feelings and let it consume you!"

The removal of his mask triggered a transformation. Ren, now revealed in his old Shujin uniform, could only watch as the mask fell into his lap. He grabbed it with immense effort and tried calling out one last time.

"Arsène, come!"

Whatever the reason, his Persona would not emerge.

"You're finished, boy," Shadow Gahr bawled and let out an insidious laugh.

"Think again, bastard!"

The bow of Captain Kidd's boat came forward and impaled the Shadow in the chest; the pirate Persona blasted a cannon into the body to get it off its ship, before striking it with a searing bolt of lightning.

"Senpai!"

Ren managed to summon the last of his energy to break the handcuffs that bound him. He transformed back into Joker's attire as he freed himself. Ren rose to his feet unsteadily, bolstered by the smaller redhead, who came running up to him with her arms outstretched. He put a hand to his side where it hurt the most, but he straightened up and shook his head.

"I'm fine," he insisted and watched as the Phantom Thieves began to attack all at once.

"Akechi Goro," the Shadow bellowed as it began its transformation.

Goro watched with his teeth bared as the Shadow grew in height, morphing itself until it became unrecognizable as a human. It stared at the Black mask with one eye, realization dawning on its brutish, simple mind.

Crow pulled off his mask and held it above his head, calling out to his main Persona. Loki burst forth like a firework display and charged with its chains snaking around the neck of the Shadow, tightening.

"You're the only way to break him," the Cyclops rumbled and grabbed Goro by the waist, throwing him against the wall.

Loki roared in pain as he exploded, unable to keep its form when its summoner was injured. The giant grabbed Goro by the throat and used its massive fingers to shatter the mask off the Detective Prince. Goro let out a string of curse words as it triggered his transformation back into his normal clothes.

"Show me everything," the Cyclops Shadow demanded, voice slow but movements even slower.

Goro let out a maniacal laugh and staggered to his feet, putting a hand to the bridge of his nose. "Return to me, Robin Hood!"

Goro's clothes changed once more, but into the familiar white attire of the Prince Ren had first seen. Crow held the red mask in his hands, chuckling darkly.

"There's always two sides of me."

Robin Hood sent the final arrow into the heart of the Cyclops, bringing the monster to its knees. Goro's mask returned to cover his eyes once more as he stepped forward, aiming his gun at the giant. With one bullet, the mirage of the cyclops imploded, revealing the tiny, shriveled up shell of Gahr.

"I don't understand…." Shadow Gahr said softly, still on his hands and knees. "I thought you of all people would understand. You and him."

"I refuse to let something as meager as human relations dictate my life," Goro replied simply and clenched his jaw, muscle jumping. "That I learned from him."

Shadow Gahr cast his gaze downward, hands balling into fists as he pounded them against the ground. "Now what?"

"As much as I want to kill you here….or perhaps watch you suffer a mental breakdown as you slowly go psychotic," Goro said, the ire returning to his voice as he recalled the pain inflicted upon him. However, he looked back at the Phantom Thieves, whose mouths were agape, and closed his eyes. "I'll resist."

"W-what?" Shadow Gahr gasped and knit his eyebrows. "Mental breakdowns? P-psychosis?"

"Return to yourself and surrender to the police," Goro replied and looked back at the others, who all gave him relieved looks.

"I have no choice now…." Shadow Gahr said with a sigh, hanging his head. "My taste of freedom was meaningless with these lies that tethered me."

The Shadow slowly began to melt away, fading until there was nothing left but a bottle of arsenic in its place. Goro snatched it hastily as the room began to shake. It was the customary collapse of the Haven.

"Of course that's the one thing that didn't change!" Ryuji barked and allowed Ann to grab him by the hand as they ran together. "Shit! Violet!"

"Any time now!"

"Hurry up!"

"I'm trying!"

"Go!"

Ren always hated running, but it was even worse when he was running while the world was warping. He stopped just short of their living room wall but slammed his body into the smallish form of someone else. He hastily apologized, trying to help her up when he noticed that red hair did not belong to Sumire but—

"Sophia?" he gasped.

"Hellllooo, Joker!"

"Huh? Is that Sophia's voice?" Ryuji asked, still clinging onto Ann. He relinquished his grip pretty quickly with an awkward cough.

"Hello, Skull!"

"What the hell?" Ryuji muttered, eyes popping when he saw the girl in the flesh. "What the fuck!"

Ren could not have put it in better words. He was staring at a human version of Sophia. Her heart-shaped hair turned into long, red locks tied in two sections with multiple bands running its length. If he was not holding her steady Ren would not have believed it to be here.

"What a spectacle," Yusuke said as he helped Sumire to her feet.

"How are you here?" Ann gasped shrilly and clapped a hand to her mouth.

"I do not know…." Sophia said and put a hand to her chest before reaching out to take Ren's hand in his. She placed it on her chest, above her left breast.

Ren blushed furiously but he felt something so strange that he couldn't pull away even if he wanted.

A heartbeat.