The boys were standing in the courtyard, Morgana stood on top of a desk again to talk to the boys.
"I take it you have made your decision then." Morgana said.
"Of course. I am willing to take the risk. Especially if it ends up with him begging on his knees for forgiveness." Ren mischievously smirked.
"Dude, that's kinda dark. I get it, though, I don't give a rat's ass about what happens to him either, he's done too much." Ryuji narrowed his eyes.
"Now that we talk about it… Is gettin' rid of a palace hard?" Ryuji asked the not-a-cat.
"Actually, I don't know." Morgana responded, to the shock of both boys.
"Are you seriously telling us that you have no practical experience in this." Ren sighed, "Well, I suppose this is our only option so we have no choice but to give it a shot."
"And I might as well remove my suspicion of Morgana's involvement in the mental shutdown cases… for now." Ren thought while Ryuji accused Morgana of just pretending to know.
"Is it true, that you guys are getting expelled?" Morgana immediately hid while the boys turned around to see it was Ann that was talking to them.
"So that asshole's at it again..." Ryuji scoffed.
"Frankly speaking, I am not surprised." Ren sighed.
"You guys are planning to do something to Kamoshida, right? Let me in on it too." Ann demanded, her spite towards Kamoshida burning in her eyes.
"I don't think this is a good idea." Ren shut her down.
"Why? You went out of your way to save Shiho, even though you barely knew her. She's my best friend, so why can't I get involved as well?" Ann argued.
"What we are planning is dangerous, there would be no point in your involvement." Ren countered and averted his gaze.
"Dangerous? Wh-"
"He said don't get into our way!" Ryuji interjected.
There was a brief silence before Ann ran off.
"C'mon Ren, let's hurry up and deal with Kamoshida." Ryuji said once she left.
The boys went into a nearby alleyway, where nobody would hopefully see them enter the metaverse.
"Let's establish something real quick. Once we cross over, we'll treat each other as phantom thieves, got it?" Morgana asked them, getting a nod from Ren.
"Uh, what's a phantom thief?" Ryuji replied in confusion.
"Those who stealthily sneak in and steal treasure with style. That's what we're gonna be." Morgana enthusiastically explained.
"Damn, sounds pretty cool." Ryuji remarked and took out his phone.
"So we gotta say Kamoshida's name, school and castle to end up in bizarro world, right?" Ryuji looked at the metaverse-navigator.
"Affirmative." Ren briefly answered.
"How the hell does all this work, though? Did someone make it?" Ryuji asked Ren.
"It's not like it matters right now, does it?" Ren replied.
"Yeah, guess you're right. Alright, let's show that effin' Kamoshida what we're made off." Ryuji proceeded to say the keywords into his Nav, swiftly bringing them into the metaverse.
Castle of Lust
"You guys ready?" Ren asked while adjusting his gloves.
"Hell yeah I am! It's time to-"
"What is this?!" the thieves turned and saw Ann approach them.
"Takamaki?!" Ryuji asked in shock.
"How are you here?" Ren tilted his head and gave her a puzzled look.
"Wait, are you Sakamoto and Ren?" Ann stared at them.
"Guys, where are we? Isn't this supposed to be the school?" Ann looked around but couldn't recognize anything.
"Oh, I get it! That app thing probably dragged her in." Morgana explained.
"Makes sense. Ryuji managed to enter with me, even though I was the only one that had it at the time. Guess we'll have to be more careful, next time." Ren added.
"A monster-cat?" Ann looked wide-eyed at Morgana.
"M-monster?" Morgana repeated, feeling slightly offended.
"You don't exactly look like a regular cat or a human." Ren quipped.
"Low blow, dude." Ryuji commented with an expression that said 'yikes'.
"Wait, is this the dangerous thing you guys mentioned?" Ann asked.
"Pretty much. It'd be for the best if you left now." Ren answered nonchalantly.
"No! I'm staying!" Ann protested.
"Guys, the shadows are gonna find us if you keep making a scene." Morgana warned them.
"Just what's going on here? I won't leave until you guys explain!" Ann told them.
"Guess we have no choice but to force her out." Ren sighed.
"Uh, how exactly do we do that?" Ryuji asked.
"You just do it like you guys usually leave and bring her from where she entered. If she entered with us the spot should be the same." Morgana explained.
"Alright let's do this." Ren adjusted his gloves again and walked up to Ann.
"We promise we'll explain everythin' once it's over." Ryuji promised while he approached her.
"What are-" Ann asked before she got lifted up by the boys.
"Let me down! And where do you think you're touching!" Ann flailed with her arms and legs hoping they would let go.
"Whoops, sorry!" Ryuji apologized.
"This might be a bit harsh but I'll promise I'll make it up to you, Ann. I'll just buy you uhh… sweets? Yeah, let's go with that." Ren said before throwing her out.
"You guys should really check your tools next time before you use them. Seriously, how the hell did I know more about it than you guys did?" Morgana scolded them.
"S-Shaddap!" Ryuji countered.
"Anyways, now that that's been taken care of, I think it's time we do what we came here for. Let's take this dickhead down." Ren declared with a determined face.
"Yeah, Takamaki found out just when we were gettin' started, so we gotta finish this quick." Ryuji added.
"Her Name is Ann Takamaki, huh? Lady Ann…" Morgana thought.
"The Shadows noticed us, so we better brace ourselves, got it?" Morgana told the boys as he snapped out of his thoughts.
"Alright, let's be careful." Ren answered.
"We'll be counting on you, Joker." Morgana enthusiastically told him.
"'Joker'? What's up with that?" Ryuji asked.
"Is that supposed to be a codename?" Ren gave Morgana a puzzled look.
"Yup, we don't know what will happen if we keep using our real names in the palace, so we better be cautious. Also what kind of Phantom Thief uses their real name?" Morgana further explained.
"Okay, but why am I 'Joker'?" Ren questioned his supposed name's origin.
"That's because your smarts and battle power are like our trump card." Morgana clarified.
"I see, I guess that makes. Alright I'm down for it, what about Ryuji, though?" Ren, now Joker, asked.
"He will be… 'Thug'." Morgana suggested.
"What? Hell no!" Ryuji protested.
"How about 'Dragon'?" Joker offered.
"Nah, I don't think that one suits me either. If it's my codename, it's gotta be called after this mask." Ryuji explained.
"So… 'Skull'?" Joker replied.
"Yeah, that sounds awesome. I'll be Skull from now on!" Ryuji, now 'Skull', pumped his fist.
"Now we gotta figure out Morgana's name… How about 'Cat'?" Joker smirked, getting a glare from the not-a-cat.
"Oh haha, very funny Joker." Morgana said sarcastically.
"Well, uh… Oh I got it? You'll be 'Mona'." Skull suggested.
"It rolls off the tongue pretty well. Sounds good enough." Joker shrugged.
"At least it's better than 'Cat', and if Joker thinks it's alright, then I'll go with it." Morgana, now 'Mona', sighed.
"I guess that makes us Skull, Mona and Joker then." Joker said.
"Let's make sure that we are absolutely thorough when using our code names, okay?" Morgana got a nod from the boys.
The thieves snuck back into the castle from where they last entered and escaped from. When they exited the room they saw an assembly of knights in the central hall and decided to eavesdrop on it from where they couldn't be seen.
"As entertaining as those intruders were, I shall not allow this trash to further sully my castle. Strengthen the security! If you see them, you kill them immediately! The one who brings me their heads, shall be rewarded." the king commanded his army.
Joker's eye twitched when the knights chanted 'All praise to Kamoshida!'.
"God, I hate this guy." Joker muttered with venom.
"Yo, Mona. Couldn't we just beat this guy up and call it a day?" Skull asked.
"No, that'd be pretty much suicide! Did you forget what happened last time?" Mona hissed.
"Also, are you sure you don't wanna see Kamoshida begging on his knees for forgiveness? I certainly do." Joker looked at Skull with a mischievous smirk.
"Yeah, guess you're right. Alright, let's get nab his Treasure." Skull said with determination.
"It's probably located in the depths of his castle, so let's infiltrate further in while he's still out here." Mona said before they continued their infiltration.
When they hid from a nearby Shadow, Mona took this as an opportunity to give Ren another lesson. For this lesson, they needed to knock the Shadow down, bringing it into a 'Hold Up' situation.
The thieves surrounded the fairy, they were fighting, that was now knocked down and pointed their firearms at it.
"Seriously? You guys are the intruders, King Kamoshida was talking about? It can't get any worse than this… So, what are you guys gonna do with me?" the shadow asked.
"Hand over some money and we'll let you live!" Joker demanded.
"You'll let me live in exchange for money? But this all happened so suddenly I don't even have anything on me." the shadow explained.
"Huh? That wasn't supposed to happen." Mona sweatdropped.
"If you don't have anything, I guess it's time for you to die." Joker said and prepared himself for an All-Out Attack.
"Wait! Can't we work something out? Can't you let me go?" the shadow pleaded.
"If you can't offer me anything in exchange for your life then I see no point in letting you live." Joker coldly explained.
"Sheesh, you're cold! Can't you say more cheesy stuff, like I usually do. Wait… usually? I remembered something!" the shadow got back up and looked Joker in the eyes.
"I don't belong to King Kamoshida. I'm an existence drifting within the sea of humanity's soul. My Name is Pixie and from now on, I shall live inside your heart." Pixie chanted before turning into a blue light, taking the shape of Joker's mask.
That light then flew directly into Joker's mask and he could feel a new power within himself.
"I am thou and thou art I. I am Pixie and from this day forth I shall lend you my power." Pixie chanted from within Joker's head.
"I'm definitely asking Igor about this." Joker thought while he kept blinking in confusion.
"Did that Shadow just get sucked into Joker's mask?" Skull asked Mona.
"I didn't expect this to happen either!" Mona answered honestly.
The commotion their reaction caused attracted another knight, which then turned into two bicorns.
"This feeling…" Joker muttered, gaining the attention from his teammates.
"I see, I guess it's showtime then... Come, Pixie!" Joker took off his mask and summoned Pixie, who had been sucked into his mask moments ago.
"Zio!" Joker commanded his new Persona to attack his foes, killing one Shadow and knocking down the other due to their weakness to electricity in the process.
"No way… Did you take that Shadow's appearance and powers and turned it into a Persona?" Morgana asked wide-eyed.
"Seems that way." Joker swiftly answered as there was still a battle to focus on.
The three of them once again positioned themselves into a Hold-Up formation.
"Lend me your power." Joker demanded.
"So that's yer move, huh? Alright, I'll talk first and decide afterwards if I wanna help you after or not." the shadow said.
"You already did a pretty good job cornerin' me like this, so I gotta ask. How do you train?" it asked.
"I don't particularly train. I just happened to have good smarts & reflexes." Joker answered honestly.
"So ya got a lotta sense, huh? All those senseless masses must have got a bone to pick with you." the shadow snarked in an annoyed tone.
"Y'know what? Let's just drop all of that dangerous stuff and go for a drink, whaddaya say?" it offered.
"How about you quit messing around." Joker could see it was getting even more annoyed.
"And there I am bein' all friendly to ya. Well I guess I did get somethin' out of it. After all… ya let yer guard down." the bicorn got back up and tackled Joker, who barely defended with one arm.
"Shit! Guess he didn't like that one." Joker thought while he was being pushed back.
"Joker! That's it you bastard. Reck him Captain! Zio!" Skull finished off the shadow while Mona healed Joker.
"Sorry, I got a bit reckless there. I'll do better next time, I promise." Joker scratched the back of his head.
"Next time? So you're saying you can negotiate with Shadows and make them Personas?" Mona asked with curious eyes.
"Pretty much, yeah." Joker shrugged.
"Wait, so did you like, lose Arsene?" Skull asked.
"No, he's still there, but I can only summon one at a time." Joker explained, although his expression said that he was just as confused.
"For real? Yo Mona, what's up with that?" Skull hoped their feline companion could explain things further.
"If I'm honest, I don't know either. I never thought it would be possible but I guess Joker just proved me wrong." Mona answered.
"Anyways, we should probably get going before any more Shadows arrive." Joker said and left the room with them.
Once they arrived inside a weapon hall, Joker decided to give negotiations another shot and ambushed a nearby shadow, which turned into one of the jack-o'-lantern looking one.
"I'll knock it down! I'm leaving the negotiation to you, Joker." Mona said before swiftly knocking the Shadow down with a Garu.
"Wait, it's not a good idea to be shooting so reckless-hee, ho." the Shadow stated.
"Lend me your power then." Joker told the Shadow.
"Alright, but bee-hee-fore that how about a little chat, ho!" the pumpkin head responded.
"Here goes nothing." Joker encouraged himself.
"Master, please make sure you remember what your uncle has once taught you about negotiations. His advice will give you the upper hand in times like these." Arsene told Joker from inside his heart.
"There are certain things people like and dislike to hear. These things differ from person to person. You can point them out by noticing signs in their speech patterns or body language. So if you try to strike a deal with someone, try saying things that will feed into their likes and come to a compromise that benefits both of you and cha-ching, you hit the jackpot!" Uncle Yosuke's words rang through Joker's head.
"Sure, why not?" Joker remained cautious about his words.
"Hee-ho Hee-ho! You're such a nice guy, ho!" the Shadow beamed at Joker.
"Is this guy callin' Joker a hoe?" Skull contemplated.
"I already know what you're after, ho! You're from another compa-hee and you've come to scout me, ho!" it assumed.
"Sorry, that's a misunderstanding. I came here to finish you off." Joker explained in order to figure out more signs of its likes and dislikes.
"So you're just a casual then! There's no way a real fan would try to do something like that to me-hee! How can you be so-ho terr-hee-ble to such a cutie like me?" it asked in a downtrodden voice.
"Now that you mention it…" Joker said vaguely, hoping that the shadow would form the answer by itself.
"Ho! So you didn't notice my cuteness until now! Guess I still have ways to go-ho… I supp-ho-se great minds think alike. Hee?! I remember now!" the Shadow said.
"Jackpot!" Joker thought to himself as the Shadow got absorbed into his mask.
"I am thou, thou art I. I am Jack-o'-Lantern, hee-ho! I'm looking forward to working with you, ho!" Jack-o'-Lantern said from within Joker's heart.
"I can't believe that Uncle Yosuke's advice actually worked for once." Joker thought to himself.
"Good job, Joker! That way, we'll be covering an element we haven't been able to before." Mona grinned at Joker.
"Dude, that's awesome!" Skull beamed at Joker.
"Thanks. Anyways, we should get going before we attract any more Shadows." Joker said, getting a nod from his teammates.
When they reached the end of the hallway outside the weapon room, they found a safe room and entered.
"So is it just me or are there even more Shadows than before?" Skull asked his teammates.
"That's probably because you two provoked Kamoshida. Then again he seems to be even more cautious than I expected" Mona explained.
"Guess you're right… So about the Treasure, how are we supposed to steal it?" Skull changed the topic.
"No need to rush in like that just yet. First off, we'll have to secure an infiltration route." Mona replied.
"Fair enough. Having one is gonna make things go much smoother." Joker commented.
"Uh, what exactly is that?" Skull asked.
"It's just the path we use to get to the treasure in the easiest way possible." Joker clarified.
"But if I'm honest, I feel like we're still short on manpower to accomplish our goal. No offense, Joker." Mona added.
"None taken. As good as my ability to wield multiple Personas is, we're still only three people. If too many Shadows surround us, we'd be pretty much screwed. Having a fourth person to back us up would be a game changer." Joker fiddled with his bangs.
"Guess you're right about that one…" Skull sighed and looked at Mona, "By the way, you keep saying you don't remember anythin' but you sure know a lot about all this stuff. Are you sure ya got amnesia?"
"If I'm honest, as sus as that sounds, I think we should have some faith. Mona is our only guide in this place and you know what they say: You don't look a gifted horse in the mouth." Joker responded.
"At least you're a step ahead of that numbskull." Mona quipped.
"You sure talk big all the time but what if you just end up bein' some random stray cat." Skull argued.
"But that's not possible..." Mona frowned.
Joker was about to call out Skull on being a (tiny) bit too harsh on Mona when suddenly they heard a Shadow speaking from outside the safe room.
"I still wonder why the princess was in such an odd location?" it spoke.
"Princess?" Skull muttered.
"I could have sworn we pursued the readings of an intruder." another Shadow said.
"Well it's not like it matters now. We must bring her to King Kamoshida." the first one replied.
"Princess...Intruder…" Joker processed the information.
"Ah shit, Ann's in trouble." Joker concluded.
"For real?! But how?" Skull asked.
"The app probably installed itself onto her phone when we dragged her in." Joker explained.
"Damn it! We let her out for her own safety and she marches right back in." Skull complained.
"We better hurry then! If we're fast enough, we can figure out where the Shadows are taking Lady Ann." Mona said.
The thieves left the room soon after, catching up with the guards without being seen. When Ann was brought into a chamber, they could hear her gasp.
"Look, I'll apologize for touching your armor but could you guys please let me go?" Ann asked.
"God, she really has no idea what's going on…" Skull muttered.
"Then we better hurry up. It's showtime, guys!" Joker said before bursting into the chamber.
Once they were inside, they saw Ann, her limbs strapped against an X-shaped cross.
"What's all this about? If you guys don't stop I'm gonna call the cops!" Ann threatened.
"So this is the intruder…" Shadow Kamoshida said as he and the cognitive Ann arrived.
"Kamoshida? And who the hell's that?" Ann couldn't believe her eyes right now.
"More importantly, what's going on? How did the school turn into this?" Ann further questioned.
"You dolts! I can't believe you mistook my Ann with this harlot." the king scolded his subordinates. He then laughed when he saw that confused look in Ann's eyes.
"What's wrong? Are you afraid?" Kamoshida asked condescendingly.
"What is that outfit? Did you completely lose your mind?" Ann asked back.
"Oh please. I get to do what I want in here. After all this is my castle, the world of my desires. Whatever you wanna call it." Kamoshida explained.
"Well I'm calling it a shithole." Joker spoke as he made his entrance.
"You again… You just like getting in my way, you rotten thief." Kamoshida spat.
"Takamaki, are you alright?" Skull asked.
"Ren, Sakamoto… What's going on here? Is this some kind of stupid joke? This isn't funny! Just cut the bullshit, Kamoshida!" Ann yelled.
"Aww, are you telling me off? What's your take on this, dear?" Kamoshida turned to the cognitive Ann.
"Talking back is like, totally unforgivable." she answered in a ditzy tone.
"Oh, how right you are. In cases like that, I'd say she'll have to be executed." Kamoshida declared.
"I'll take your head before you lay a hand on her!" Joker threatened and pointed his gun at the king.
"Oh, how scary. Would you really be able to do it, though? Stuff like that needs some serious guts. Like that girl that jumped earlier had." Kamoshida gave Joker a shit-eating grin.
"You little…!" Skull intervened.
"Stay calm, Ren! This is more than obviously a trap! This is not how you wanted to see his downfall!" Joker told himself to calm himself down. His blood had been boiling the whole day but he pulled through, gritted his teeth and lowered his gun. As much as he hated that man, he still felt hesitant to pull the trigger on him.
"Speaking of which, it's your fault she jumped in the first place, Takamaki." Kamoshida looked back at Ann.
"What…" Ann muttered.
"Since you were so reluctant to throw yourself onto me, I simply had her take her place." the Shadow explained with a sadistic grin.
"You bastard!" Ann could feel her blood boil harder than ever before.
The guards got one step closer, making Ann gasp.
"NO!" Skull tried to run towards them but the guards formed a barrier with their swords before he could make a single step.
"One more step and I'll kill her on the spot!" Kamoshida warned.
Joker tensed up, he found himself in another situation where one wrong step could cost the life of someone else.
"Think, think, think, dammit! There's got to be a way to save her! How fast can I raise my arm and shoot? Would that even be enough to take one down? What about the other guards? Could I shoot him fast enough as well? No, they'll be too fast! Fuck! Why did I already lower my gun? How fucking stupid am I? Come on, there's gotta be something! I can't let someone else die!" Joker looked around, trying to find a solution.
"So this is my punishment for what happened to Shiho…" Ann muttered.
"That's more like it. I would have loved to see more of that from the start." Kamoshida grinned at her despair.
"I'm so sorry, Shiho!" Ann's voice cracked in guilt.
"So you're just gonna listen to him?" Joker asked, gaining Ann's attention.
"You are willing to listen to an accusation, about something that isn't your fault? Do you truly want that? If you wanna beat yourself up about it then be my guest. But I won't let you take the fall for something that wasn't your fault, when the real culprit is right here!" Joker continued while looking her directly into her eyes
"You're right…" Ann answered.
"What was I even thinking?" Ann chuckled.
"You're getting on my nerves. Slaves like you should just behave and just-"
"Shut up." Ann interrupted him.
"I've had enough of all of your bullshit… You piss me off, you son of a bitch!" Ann glared at Kamoshida before she felt something sting in her head.
"My... it's taken far too long." a voice in Ann's head spoke, causing her to repeatedly scream in pain and struggle in her shackles.
"Tell me… Who's going to avenge her if you don't?
Forgiving him was never the option
Such is the scream of the other you that dwells within.
I am thou, thou art I
We can finally forge a contract."
"I hear you Carmen." Ann muttered and looked back up, where a red mask, resembling a feline's head, formed on her face.
"You're right, there's no need to hold back anymore!" Ann said determinedly.
Kamoshida sweatdropped and took a few steps back.
"There you go. Nothing can be resolved by restraining yourself.
Do you understand? If you do, then I'll gladly lend you my strength." Carmen told her as the shackles broke off.
Ann proceeded to rip her mask off and erupted into a pillar of blue fire. When the fire died down, Ann was wearing a red latex-suit with zippers that were opened around her chest area. Additionally, she wore pink gloves and dark red boots that reached all the way up to her knees and partially her thighs.
Standing behind her was Carmen, a woman dressed in a red dress, decorated with roses, wearing a black mask above her eyes, fitting her equally black hair. In her hands, she held two figures, with heart shaped heads and eyes on a leash, one of which she is stepping one with one leg.
Ann ran towards one of the knights and kicked its sword out of its hands. She jumped up and caught said weapon and used it to slice the cognitive version of herself in half.
Skull and Mona looked at her in surprise, while Joker just grinned at her willingness to fight back.
"I'm not some cheap object you can toy around with, you scumbag." Ann glared at Kamoshida.
"Bitch!" Kamoshida responded.
"You took everything from Shiho. You destroyed her and took everything from her. So I will rob you of everything in return!" Ann declared and pointed at the king as the thieves got into formation to support her in battle.
"Such insolence! I shall stop you from insulting King Kamoshida!" the executioner said as it and its fellow shadows transformed into a devil on a toilet (don't question it).
"Ready to kick its ass, Takamaki?" Skull asked.
"Definitely, I've had enough of them!" Ann replied while the thieves got ready for battle.
"That's more like it. I would have loved to see more of that from the start." Joker jokingly smirked while he twirled his knife to hold it upside-down.
"You dare to defy King Kamoshida's love, you selfish lass? I shall make you pay for your insolence!" the Shadow reprimanded her.
"Don't give me that 'love' bullshit, when all that scumbag sees women as are sexual outlets. Let's give 'em hell, Carmen! Agi!" Ann commanded her Persona, hitting the opponent's weakness and knocking it down.
"Whaddaya say, Joker? Wanna go for an All-Out Attack?" Skull asked as he saw the opportunity.
"Not yet! Let's make sure to properly weaken it first!" Joker ordered.
"Good idea, Joker! Zoro! Garu!" Mona used the opportunity to get a clean hit in, which unfortunately didn't deal as much damage as he had hoped.
"Tch, that thing's resistant to wind!" Mona observed.
"Got it! Mona, stay on the back line and give us support while the three of us deal the damage. Skull, let's not take any chances on elemental weaknesses for now and focus on physical attacks for now." Joker told his teammates.
"Got it!" Skull ran up to the Shadow and swung his pipe at it, hurting it by a decent amount. Unfortunately for Skull, the Shadow recoiled and attacked back. Mona provided support in response and healed Skull immediately.
"You ready to take it down, Ann?" Joker put a hand to his mask, ready to summon his newly acquired Persona.
"Always have been. Let's finish this, Ren!" Ann responded with a confident look.
"Jack-o'-Lantern!"
"Carmen!"
"Agi!" Joker and Ann chanted in unison, knocking the Shadow down with a big fire blast.
"This is it, everyone! All-Out Attack!" Joker commanded and initiated the attack to finish the Shadow off.
"Oh shit!" Kamoshida, who had been watching the fight unfold, said before running away.
"You're not getting-" before Ann could chase after him, she fell to her knees.
"Are you alright, Lady Ann?" Mona asked in concern.
"Lady Ann?" Ann asked back rather unimpressed.
"You're probably exhausted from awakening to your powers. That's the same as what happened to this guy." Joker gestured to Skull.
"I guess? Anyways, where in the world are we?" Ann looked down for a moment and let out an embarrassed yelp when she realised what she was wearing.
"And what the hell am I wearing?" she covered her cleavage with both of her arms.
"Dude, you didn't realize that 'til now?" Skull questioned.
"To be fair, neither did we when we first awakened. Then again, how can you in the heat of a life-or-death moment." Joker argued with a shrug.
"Enough about that, you should probably calm down, Ann." Joker sighed.
"Calm down? How the hell am I supposed to? Heck! How the hell are you so calm right now?" Ann glared at Joker.
"At this rate, a search party has probably been sent out. We've got no choice to retreat for now!" Mona told them, to which the boys nodded.
"Man, I was gettin' so fired up about stealing Treasure…" Skull complained.
"Trust me, so was I. But we still have some time to take it, so let's get out of here first, 'kay?" Joker countered.
"Yeah, guess you're right. C'mon, I'll take this side and you'll take the other." Skull and Joker crouched down and supported Ann by her shoulders.
Real World
The thieves plus Ann swiftly escaped the castle and regrouped at the train station. Ryuji went out to buy some drinks while Ren and Morgana explained to Ann everything that had happened.
"So which one do you want?" Ryuji asked as he held out different kinds of soda out to her.
"Whichever one's not carbonated." Ann answered.
"Uh, they're both, actually." Ryuji sheepishly explained.
"Then I'll just take this one." Ann took the bottle in Ryuji's right hand.
"Here ya go, RenRen." Ryuji held the other bottle out to Ren.
"Are you certain?" Ren asked hesitantly.
"Don't worry 'bout it! Just take it." Ryuji replied enthusiastically.
"Thank you, I appreciate it." Ren gave Ryuji a grateful smile.
"And what about me?" Morgana jumped onto Ren's shoulder.
"Uh? I dunno, you're a cat." Ryuji bluntly responded, making Ann giggle.
"Did you manage to calm down now, Lady Ann." Morgana asked her.
"Uhm, yeah. Thanks… Morgana, right? I really am talking to a cat. Whoops, sorry! You're not supposed to be a cat, right?" Ann apologized.
"It is alright if you are confused. I also apologize for practically shoving all of this information down your throat right after your awakening. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask." Ren pushed his glasses up.
"I honestly still can't believe what happened… But if what you guys told is true, is it really possible to make Kamoshida confess to everything?" Ann looked at them with hopeful eyes.
"We won't know unless we try. It's basically our only choice we've got left." Ryuji explained.
"Then let me help out too. I have to get revenge for what happened to Shiho." Ann said with a determined look.
Ryuji looked hesitant about it at first but Ren shot him an unimpressed look that convinced him that this would be the right call.
"You are more than welcome to join us. If all four of us work together, then victory is going to be guaranteed. Welcome to the team, Ann." Ren held up his palm for a high five which Ann gladly gave him.
"Glad to be there. Well if you guys would have rejected me, I could have just gone in by myself." Ann pointed out to which Ryuji sighed.
"I'll make sure that Kamoshida pays for everything he's done! Not just to Shiho but everyone else as well. I won't let him hurt anyone else anymore." Ann declared.
Ren suddenly felt time slow down again.
I am thou, thou art I
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion
that breaketh thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Lovers Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall lead to freedom and new power
" Fair enough…" Ren thought.
"Just let me know when you guys are ready to head out. Oh right, we don't have each other's info yet." Ann took out her phone and exchanged her contact info with the boys.
Ann left shortly after and after Morgana was done gushing about her, Ren spoke up again.
"Considering how our operations are supposed to be kept secret, I'd say we find ourselves a proper hideout." Ren said.
"A hideout huh? Sounds pretty awesome to me." Ryuji grinned.
"The school's rooftop should work." Morgana suggested.
"Huh? I guess but… are you gonna be alright with it, Ren?" Ryuji looked at Ren with concern.
"The rooftop should work perfectly. I highly doubt that people would like to visit it after…" Ren frowned and tried not to think about it.
"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it." Ryuji gave him a sympathetic look.
"I know that Kamoshida is at fault but I just cannot help it.." Ren sighed.
"A-anyway, I just realized that I need someone to take care of me while I'm stuck in this form. Personally, I nominate Ren. You better feel honored about it." Morgana tried to change the topic.
"This one's on you. My place isn't allowed to take pets. Sorry, man." Ryuji sheepishly scratched the back of his head.
"Anyways, my train's about to arrive… See ya tomorrow, RenRen!" Ryuji left before Ren could protest.
"How exactly am I supposed to explain this to Sojiro?" Ren sighed.
"Oh well, if we don't have his approval, you are sleeping on the streets." Ren said coldly and ignored the wave of complaints and protests Morgana threw at him.
LeBlanc
When Ren entered, he saw a woman dressed in black sitting in one of the booths. For some reason, he couldn't help but be curious about her and kept looking at her until she looked back.
"Hey kid, we're still open. Go upstairs." Sojiro sternly told Ren.
"Apologies, I will be on my way." Ren answered and gave a small bow to the woman.
"My, aren't you a polite one." she said.
"I'm sorry if he came off as rude earlier, doctor." Sojiro remarked.
"Doctor?" Ren was now even more curious than before.
"No, it's quite alright. I was about to leave anyway." she said before getting up.
Once she left, Sojiro turned to Ren.
"Since you were so curious about her, she's a doctor that works in a nearby clinic down the street. Apparently she's giving some pretty crappy exams and sells some weird medicine as well." Sojiro explained.
"I see, thank you." Ren responded.
"Hey Ren, are we there yet?" Morgana asked from inside his bag and there was a brief silence between them.
"That idiot!" Ren thought.
"You wanna explain that or not?" Sojiro gave Ren a questioning look.
"I was about to ask anyway but I found this cat in a box in an alley near the school and I wanted to know if we could keep it." Ren took off his bag and opened it to reveal Morgana.
"And you couldn't leave it there, because?" Sojiro raised an eyebrow.
"When I fed it, it pretty much attached itself to me. No matter where I went, it would still follow me." Ren further explained.
"Kid, this is a restaurant. Animals are a huge no-go." Sojiro looked at Morgana,"But I suppose having a pet would teach you some responsibility…" Sojiro scratched the back of his head and pretended he wasn't blushing.
"Just take it upstairs before it gets cat hair anywhere and I change my mind." Sojiro ordered, to which Ren gladly complied.
"That was easier than I thought it would be." Ren told Morgana and set it down on his bed.
"Seriously? This is your place? What is this? Some kind of abandoned house?" Morgana complained.
"I think it's pretty cozy." Ren looked around the attic.
"Jeez, why does it have to have such a cute voice?" Sojiro muttered as he arrived with a plate with food for Morgana and placed it in front of it.
"By the way, does it have a name yet?" Sojiro sheepishly asked.
"Yes, I called it Morgana. It seems to like that name." Ren explained while pulling on his bangs.
"I see, I kinda wished I got to name it… A-anyways, I'm off. Wash that dish once it's done eating." Sojiro left soon after Ren nodded.
"Heh, guess he likes me more than you." Morgana snarked, making Ren roll his eyes.
"So about what I said about my memories and true form earlier… I think the metaverse distortions took those from me." Morgana theorized.
"So you believe that form was human…" Ren responded.
"It has to be, there'd be no way a cat could talk like that otherwise!" Morgana argued.
"I also have an idea on how to get it back in the first place. But first, I should probably eat, I haven't really felt hungry in the metaverse…" Morgana proceeded to finish his food before speaking to Ren again.
"I won't be living with you rent-free of course. I have a lot of knowledge on infiltration tools, you know? So here's the deal. You let me live here with you and I'll teach you about infiltration tools." Morgana offered.
"Sounds reasonable enough. Deal." Ren answered confidently.
"Good answer!" Morgana gave Ren a smile.
"Let me guess…" Ren thought as time seemed to slow down again.
I am thou, thou art I
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion
that breaketh thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Magician Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall lead to freedom and new power
"Figures…"
"I'll teach you more about infiltration tools over time." Morgana stretched a bit.
"Oh, and that power you used back then was seriously amazing! If it gets stronger, the more reliable it'll be in the future. You sure are our trump card." Morgana said.
"Thank you. But how exactly am I supposed to strengthen those powers?" Ren asked, even though he already knew the answer but he hoped that Morgana could reveal some extra info.
"Personas are the strength of heart, therefore different life experiences can affect it too." Morgana explained.
"So if I surround myself with capable people… I could learn some useful skills as well, correct?" Ren concluded.
"Sharp as always, Ren. From this day forward I'll accompany you wherever you go… I'll give you your privacy when you need it, of course. I expect great things from you. " Morgana told him and Ren couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity in that statement.
"I see, you better stay in my bag then. If I need to take you everywhere, walking around as a cat would be inconvenient." Ren replied before his phone rang.
Ann: Thanks for everything today.
Ann: You saved me and I still didn't thank you yet…
Ren: Don't worry about it.
Ann: Sorry, I just can't help it.
Ren: No need to apologize.
Ren: If anything, it shows me how compassionate you are.
Ann: Aww, thanks.
Ann: Anyways see ya tomorrow.
Ren: See you then.
"You guys send messages to each other over that thing, right? Make sure you include what I say too." Morgana said.
Ren nodded, before his phone rang again.
"Yes? Tatsumi here." Ren started the call.
"Ah, you're still awake. I was kinda afraid you already hit the hay." a familiar rough voice spoke.
"I was about to head to bed, actually. Did something happen?" Ren asked.
"No, no. I just wanted to check on ya. Anyhow, how're you doin', kiddo? Senpai told me ya made a friend." Kanji asked.
"I certainly did. As a matter of fact I just made another one yesterday." Ren explained.
"Oh really? That's awesome! Senpai already told me about the Ryuji kid. So what's the other one like?" Kanji asked with a smile on his face.
"Ann seems a bit distant at first, but if you know her, you learn that she is a very compassionate person and she cares deeply for her is also quite the headstrong person." Ren summarized.
"Y'know, if you didn't say her name, I would have thought you would have talked about yer Aunt Rise." Kanji chuckled.
"How do you draw this comparison?" Ren asked in confusion.
"I mean the headstrong part's obvious and despite her constantly teasin' and over the top attitude, you and I both know how much she cares about others." Kanji clarified and Ren could get behind that.
"I suppose that makes sense. So what about you, father? How have you and mother been?" Ren asked.
"We've been fine so far. Naoto already went to bed. She's still workin' hard to prove yer innocence." Kanji reported.
"Still? Should sh-"
"Don't give me that bullshit! Ren, I know ya keep beating yourself up about it but all of us know ya didn't deserve this. I'll keep repeating it until you get it: It wasn't your fault!" Kanji sternly interrupted him.
"Also while I'm at it, you should definitely call yer Ma once in a while. You two haven't talked to each other ever since you boarded the train." Kanji instructed.
"I… I suppose." was the only thing Ren could get out, making Kanji sigh.
"Anyways, it's gettin' late, so I'm headin' to bed now. Good night, Ren. And don't forget that your mother and I love you." Kanji hung up before Ren could say anything.
Ren stood there for a brief moment, trying to think about something else.
"Ann is like Aunt Rise, huh? Yeah, I can get behind that. She would always try to console me when I was feeling down." Ren thought back to those moments when his aunt showed her caring and compassionate side to him.
Like back when his grandmother passed away when he was ten, when he felt disappointed that nobody talked to him in his first year of elementary school.
Pretty much every time when her teasing took it too far. Or like that time when he… broke down in his room, shaming himself for the record.
Ren tried to avoid thinking about it, but he also remembered when his mother broke down into tears when she failed to prove his innocence. Rise was there with Kanji to console her, while Ren just watched. He froze when he saw that he managed to make his mother cry.
"I know it wasn't my fault… So why can I still not face her?" Ren scolded himself.
Ren could feel his lips and hands trembling and clenched his phone tightly in his hand while biting his lower lip.
"Ren?" Morgana looked at his friend with a worried expression.
Ren let out a shaky breath.
"I'm fine, Morgana. I was just thinking about what happened today. I suppose I should get some rest..." Ren lied.
Morgana wanted to say something but decided against it.
Ren took the dish and wordlessly cleaned it, falling asleep soon after, not having said a single word ever since he went downstairs.
Author's Notes:
This took waaaay longer than I expected.
But overall I was pretty satisfied with how this chapter turned and I hope I was able to get some important points across.
I also hope you guys liked Ren's Joker side and that the duality of his is really obvious now, because it's really fun (yet draining) to write it.
Also the original idea was to have Yu give Ren the advice about negotiating with people until I realized that that dialogue was more Yosuke-esque and makes more sense since he's a business man. So I figured I should make a joke out of it.
I hope my comparison between Ann and Rise makes sense too, if I'm honest coming up with similarities was more difficult than I originally thought.
I also wanted to shed some more light about what happened after Ren's arrest before I reveal the whole thing, to give you some more Angst to look forward to.
The next chapter is probably gonna be a lot shorter and it's going to throw at question at me of how I want to handle the confidants.
My current idea is to put the ones I deem relevant to the story in here and the rest are put into a spin-off story but I don't know wether or not I'll do that.
Anyways (I use this word way too much), I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter as I had writing it and I'll see you guys next time :)