"Umm…where'd the tree go…?" Ryuji wondered as he and the others looked up in front of them.
The Phantom Thieves had entered the Metaverse. It was dark, with dark, ragged clouds mostly covering a blood-red sky. The surrounding streetlights flickered nervously. Something groaned in the distance, sending cold shivers down the group's spines. Like Morgana had predicted, they didn't have to look very hard to find their target destination. All they had to do was look forward and up before they saw their leader's Palace—a dark gray, seven-story high building that looked like it was about thirty feet wide. They could see a flashing neon sign and a theater marquee shining brightly in the distance, but couldn't quite make out what either said from where they were standing. The graves of the cemetery were nowhere to be found; it was as if they never existed. The green grass they used to stand upon had been entirely paved over with asphalt concrete. Nobody would've guessed this was supposed to be a cemetery in the real world if they didn't already know.
"Wow, it's huge," Yu commented, staring at the theater in the distance, as everyone was. "I don't even think Cinema City is as big as this."
"So…this is Akira's heart?" Rise asked.
"I never would've thought someone so kind and caring like Akira would have a heart so dark," Makoto somberly said. Ryuji put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
"Hey! Don't talk like that. His heart's messed up right now, sure. But we're gonna fix that, you hear me?" Makoto silently nodded. The only thing that remained of the cemetery was the gate, which remained unchanged, with the exception of the sign above the entrance. Rather than displaying the name of the cemetery, it showed the name of the theater:
Théâtre De La Douleur
"Uhh, I hate to ask, but does anybody know what that sign says?" Ann asked around as she looked up at the sign.
"It's French," Haru somberly began, "it translates to 'Theater of Pain.'" Everyone was silent, but they were all feeling the same thing. Their thoughts were interrupted by Yu.
"Uh, guys?" They turned around to see him and Rise looking confused. "What are you all wearing?" Yu raised an eyebrow. The Phantom Thieves all looked at each other; they were all back in their regular thief attires. It had been quite a while; it almost felt nostalgic.
"Oh, these are our Phantom Thief outfits; we change whenever we enter the Metaverse," Yusuke explained.
"Wait a second," Makoto began, "we haven't actually set foot in Akira's Palace yet. He doesn't even know we're inside, yet…" she trailed off.
"…he already sees us as threats…" Sumire quietly said. She felt Rise put an arm around her.
"Sumi-chan?" Rise asked; Sumire shook her head.
"I-I'm all right," she assured her. She then raised an eyebrow as she noticed something was different about Yu and Rise. "Hold on, did you two change clothes as well?"
"Yo, what's with the glasses?" Futaba asked. Yu and Rise scanned each other. They were both back in their Yasogami High School outfits and were sporting their trademark glasses.
"How did we—? Aw, forget it, it's not important," Yu began before cutting himself off. Logic dictated that he and Rise shouldn't have changed clothes either. As it turned out, in the Metaverse, logic was liar.
"Woah, talk about déjà vu. Glad my old high school uniform still fits, heehee," Rise commented. She couldn't help but giggle at her familiar attire as she adjusted her glasses. "Wait…" Rise looked at Morgana. "What is that?" she pointed.
"Hey! Don't point at me like that! I'm not an 'it!'" Morgana crossed his arms.
"Morgana!? You're a mons-" Rise was cut off.
"Don't you dare say 'monster cat!'" he snapped. "I am Morgana, or more accurately, in the Metaverse, I go by 'Mona.'"
"Huh? Why Mona?" Rise wondered.
"Oh, yeah. We all have code names here. Wouldn't be right if we ran around shoutin' out our real names n' all. We're 'sposed to be sneaky," Ryuji said. The Thieves all proceeded to give their code names and their Personas.
Morgana — Code Name: Mona — Persona: Zorro: Anthropomorphic and biped tuxedo cat-like creature with a large spheroidal head, yellow scarf around his neck and a utility belt around his hips, with two golden buttons and two bags attached.
Ryuji — Code Name: Skull — Persona: Captain Kidd — Matching black jacket with elbow pads and what appears to be a metal vertebral column attached to its back, pants with knee pads and a double-sided holster belt with ammo on each side, a red ascot, combat boots, a pair of yellow gloves with metal knuckle protectors and a skull mask.
Ann — Code Name: Panther — Persona: Carmen — Skin-tight red latex catsuit with a cleavage cutout and zippers, matching red panther mask, pink gloves, dark red thigh-high boots, and a clip-on tail on the back of her catsuit.
Yusuke — Code Name: Fox — Persona: Goemon — Traditional kitsune-style half mask, a black high-collared puff-sleeved jumpsuit with a striped sash worn across his hips and a white foxtail attached, white motorcycle boots, and bright blue gloves.
Makoto — Code Name: Queen — Persona: Johanna — Dark blue and black skintight suit, with a long black scarf, a dark gray corset-style leather breastplate, shoulder and knee pads with spikes mixed with boots that sport metal heels and toes, white gloves, and an iron mask.
Futaba — Code Name: Oracle — Persona: Necronomicon (not the 'Book of the Dead') — Skintight black bodysuit with fluorescent neon green glowing stripes and matching black boots with neon green soles, a pair of big black goggles with orange lenses serving as her mask.
Haru — Code Name: Noir — Persona: Milady — Dark purple cavalier hat with a feather plume tucked into a royal purple hatband, a long-sleeved pale pink blouse with a white neck jabot (held there by a red gem pin), a black corset vest with gold buttons, bloomers that match her hatband, black pantyhose, a holster belt carrying ammo and lace-up pumps, and a black mask.
Sumire — Code Name: Violet — Persona: Cendrillon — Strapless black leotard, a chain belt with two silver roses motifs and the scabbard for her rapier attached to it, a black choker and red gloves, black bolero jacket with gold buttons, ruffled sleeves and three floor-length coattails, thigh-length hose and stiletto-heels that resemble ballet shoes on the top, a black mask with silver highlights.
"Didn't your group's members have code names?" Makoto asked; both Yu and Rise shook their heads.
"Pfft, amateurs," Morgana mumbled, acting all high and mighty.
"Well, it's time we change that. What would you like your code names to be?" Ann asked; Yu and Rise thought for a second.
"Well, Rise-san already has an alter-ego; why not 'Risette'?" Haru suggested.
"Hard pass," Rise began. "More people know me as 'Risette' in the real world, anyway. Wouldn't be super sneaky now, would it?"
"Ah, good thinking, you catch on quick, mwehehe," Morgana chuckled; Rise thought for a bit.
"I got it! I wanna go by 'Venus.'"
"You mean, like the planet?" Ryuji asked; Rise chuckled.
"No, silly! The Roman Goddess of Love."
"Well, she was the 'Lovers' Arcana…" Yu thought to himself. "I love it," he smirked.
"I knew you would," Rise smiled at him.
"Ah, I can see it now. The divine beauty of the Goddess of Love, inspiring one to pursue their passion. It makes for magnificent art," Yusuke said as he fell into another art trance.
"…what's he talking about?" Rise whispered to Futaba.
"Oh, everything is art to him; that's just how Inari is," Futaba responded.
"Inari? Oh, 'cause he's dressed like a fox. I get it, haha," Rise giggled. "Okay, 'Venus,' it is. What about you, honey?" She turned to Yu, who exhaled deeply, racking his brain, trying to find a code name.
"Well, he is a police officer. How about 'Officer?'" Sumire suggested.
"Meh," Yu shrugged.
"Cop?" Futaba suggested.
"No."
"Pig?" Ryuji suggested. Yu didn't say anything, but he did glare at Ryuji, as did everyone else. "What? It was just a suggestion."
"You know, Yu-san, my older sister has silver hair as well. Why not 'Silver?'" Makoto suggested.
"Or 'Grey?'" Ann suggested.
"'Grey?' That makes him sound even more like an old man," Futaba remarked. "Oh, uh, no offense."
"Hey, I'm only like five or six years older than you all," Yu said, crossing his arms.
"Pick your battles, sweetie." Rise gave him a quick peck on the cheek; Yu sighed.
"'Silver' is fine," he relented.
"All right, 'Silver' and 'Venus.' Does that work for you both?" Morgana asked; Everyone nodded. "Well then, Welcome to the Phantom Thieves," Yu and Rise smiled.
Rise — Code Name: Venus — Persona: Himiko — Black shirt with a white turtleneck underneath, yellow scarf, gray skirt, black pantyhose, dark-brown shoes, and pink-framed glasses.
Yu — Code Name: Silver — Persona(s): Kohryu, Kaguya, Izanagi-No-Okami — Black jacket, white button-down shirt, black pants, dark-brown shoes, and gray-framed glasses.
"Damn, I never thought Risette would be a part of the Phantom Thieves!" Ryuji was giddy with excitement.
"Gotta admit, it's pretty surreal!" Ann added.
"To be honest, I'm more surprised we have a police officer on the team," Haru said.
"Hey, come on, Noir." Makoto took her hand. "Yu-san, err—I mean, Silver is a good police officer."
"Is something wrong?" Yu asked.
"Oh, it's nothing against you at all, Silver. We just don't particularly care for the police, that's all," Haru said in a passive/aggressive tone with a smile.
"Why's that?" Yu wasn't offended but was curious. However, before he could get an answer, there was a sudden flash of light that caused everyone to avert their eyes. When they reopened them, they looked down to see an antique-looking treasure chest. Yu began to feel a familiar feeling. His theory was confirmed when he saw the insignia engraved on the chest—a golden 'V' surrounded by golden branches.
"What is that?" Yusuke asked.
"It's a treasure chest, duh, Inari," Futaba nudged Yusuke.
"Well, shall we open it?" Haru asked.
"I don't know; it could be a trap," Makoto was cautious.
"It's not. Trust me," Yu said.
"What makes you say that?" Sumire asked.
"The symbol," he responded.
"…what symbol?" Ann scratched her head.
"Don't worry, guys. He's right; it's safe," Morgana nodded his head at Yu. It seemed like only Morgana and Yu could see the symbol. "I have a pretty good idea who it's from anyway," he added. Yu kneeled down, undid the latches, and opened it. The others leaned over his shoulder to peek inside and went wide-eyed. Inside the chest was an assortment of melee weapons and firearms.
"Woah! It's all of our weapons!" Ann exclaimed.
"And medicine!" Futaba added.
"B-But, how…?" Sumire wondered.
"I think it was a gift." Yu said as he noticed the note that was on the inside of the lid.
I am glad you have made it to this point. I hope these will aid you on your journey to save the Trickster. I will contact you again soon. I have faith in you.
—L
The note ended with the logo stamped next to the 'L.' Yu turned to Morgana, who stood next to him.
"Who's 'L'?" he asked.
"Lady Lavenza. A friend of ours," Morgana simply answered.
"Let me guess, Velvet Room attendant?" Yu asked; Morgana silently nodded. The Thieves got themselves equipped with their gear:
—Cutlass and slingshot for Morgana
—Lead pipe and shotgun for Ryuji
—Whip and submachine gun for Ann
—Katana and assault rifle for Yusuke
—Spiked knuckles and revolver for Makoto
—Halibut and grenade launcher for Haru
—Rapier and rifle for Sumire
Yu grabbed his own two-handed katana and looked at the others in surprise.
"Wait, you guys have guns?"
"Honey, it's not that weird. Naoto had a gun too, you know?" Rise pointed out.
"They're not real. They're airsoft guns in the real world, but in here, they become real," Morgana explained.
"So, then, technically, they ARE real," Yu clarified; everyone shrugged. "Should've brought mine…"
"I must admit, it is somewhat ironic that the one person of the group who knows how to accurately handle a real firearm is without one," Yusuke remarked.
"Who says he's the only one?" Makoto smirked as she spun the chamber of her revolver. Haru giggled as well as she armed her grenade launcher. Yusuke and Ryuji both gulped.
"Yikes, note to self: don't piss Queen and Noir off," Futaba muttered, biting her lip. Everyone, save for Rise and Futaba, grabbed their weapons and divided the medicine between them. They were ready to take on anything.
"Are we set?" Sumire asked around; everyone nodded. "Oh, wait! We don't have a leader, do we?" she realized.
"Oh, yeah, that's right. Akira filled that role," Futaba rubbed the back of her head.
"Queen, you were basically Joker's second-in-command before. Do you think you can handle the role of leader?" Sumire asked.
"To be honest, I-I don't think I can. I'm a bit too on edge to handle the role of 'leader' considering the circumstances. I'm sorry," Makoto replied with honesty.
"Hold on, 'Joker?'" Rise asked.
"Akira's code name. I gave it to him," Morgana proudly beamed.
"Huh…it's kinda creepy. I don't like it," she responded. Morgana looked hurt, like he took it personally.
"How 'bout Silver?" Ryuji suggested. "Seein' as he's already led a team of Persona users an' all…"
"Not a bad idea, Skull," Morgana admitted. "I'll give you your due credit."
"Will you stop callin' me a monkey?" Ryuji asked.
"Let's not go that far."
"Mona, you little-"
"GUYS!" Ann yelled, stopping the two's bickering dead in its tracks.
"Jeez, it's Yosuke and Teddie all over again," Yu said before letting out a soft chuckle.
"Is this normal for you guys?" Rise leaned over and asked Futaba, who nodded.
"Pretty much. It's like we never left…"
"Getting back on track, are you all right with the role of leader, Silver?" Sumire asked.
"Yeah," Yu nodded. "I'll do it if you're all okay with that." Everyone nodded in agreement. "Okay then, let's do this."
The Phantom Thieves once again entered through the cemetery gates. They walked up the hill where the oak tree was positioned in the real world and replaced with a towering theater in the cognitive world. The flashing neon sign gave in red, black, and white the name of the theater. The marquee, meanwhile, displayed in big red and black lettering:
FEATURE PRESENTATION
"REGRET & PAIN"
NO SNACKS ALLOWED
The Thieves did their best to ignore the marquee and headed to the entrance. An empty ticket booth separated two sets of double doors. Ryuji tried opening them, but the doors were locked.
"Damn it," he muttered.
"Did you really think it'd be that easy?" Morgana asked.
"Honestly, yeah, I was hopin,'" he quietly said
"What kind of thieves go in through the front door, anyway?" Rise asked. Ryuji attempted to kick the door open.
*Hey!* a male voice yelled from out of sight. *Don't kick the damn door! What are you, five!?* Everyone looked around frantically.
"Who's there!?" Yu yelled.
*Ticket booth, genius,* the voice said condescendingly. The Thieves looked to the ticket booth. There was a blue fire inside that raged before a mysterious and entirely faceless figure stepped out of it. It was wearing an old red, black, and gold vintage Hollywood-style usher's uniform, white gloves, and red cap. It also had no eyes, no nose, no mouth, no ears, and no hair. *Hiya. Welcome to the Theater of Pain.* The figure raised his hand to greet them before going back to his condescending tone of voice. *You want in? You gotta get a ticket. Do you even know how a movie theater works?* the figure scolded them. Everyone was too stunned at what they were seeing to respond right away. *Helloooo? Is anyone home? I can see the lights are on, come on,* it said as it waved its hands at them. The Thieves snapped out of it.
"Wh-what the…?" Ann stammered. "W-What are you?" The figure patted his outfit and spread his arms.
*Isn't it obvious? I'm the usher,* he tilted his head and pointed his finger at them. *What's with the costumes?*
"A-Are you a shadow?" Haru asked, ignoring the usher's question.
"O-Or a cognition, perhaps?" Makoto added.
*Uhhhh…sorry. I have no clue what you're talking about. I'm just the usher,* he confusedly answered as he adjusted his cap.
"D-Do you have a name?" Sumire asked.
*It's on my nametag.* He pointed at an empty spot on his chest.
"But you don't have a name-tag," Yusuke said. The usher "looked" down at his shirt.
*Huh, so I don't,* he shrugged.
"How the hell are you able to see without eyes?" Ryuji asked.
"Yeah, or speak without a mouth?" Futaba added.
*I dunno,* the usher shrugged.
"So, what is your name, then?" Yu asked.
*I-I-ah can't tell you, unfortunately. It's very painful,* he warned as he rubbed the back of his hairless head.
"What do you mean? Just spit it out, man," Ryuji said.
*All right. If you insist, it's-PSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTT* All of a sudden, the sound became loud and distorted. The Thieves had to cover their ears as they cringed in pain. *…-ay?*
"Agh, what…?" Ryuji winced as he uncovered his ears.
*I said, are you all okay? You seemed to be having a bad time there.*
"Well, yeah! That was loud as hell!" Ryuji shouted.
*Can't say I didn't warn you. I don't know why that happens. I try to say my name, and suddenly, everything goes wonky. Wish I knew why,* the usher rubbed his forehead.
"That was worse than nails on a chalkboard," Futaba winced.
*Gee, thanks,* the usher sarcastically replied. *Look, d'you want a ticket or not? I can't hang around here all day.* He placed his hands on his hips. *By the way, you never answered my question about the costumes. Is there a film festival going on right now or something?*
"Uh, don't you work here?" Ann pointed out.
*Yeah, what of it?* the usher replied.
"Shouldn't you be aware of what goes on at the theater?" Yusuke pondered.
*Look, man, the Boss doesn't tell me anything. He barely even acknowledges me or the fact that I exist,* the usher crossed his arms.
"The Boss? You mean, Akira Kurusu?" Morgana asked; the usher shrugged.
*I dunno. I've never actually met him. He's always holed up in the grand theater hall.*
"Then that's where we need to go," Sumire said. "We'd all like tickets." The usher nodded his head and pulled on a lever inside his booth. There was a slot on the outside where a single ticket slipped out. Sumire took it. "Just one?"
*It's a group ticket; don't think to hard about it,* the usher explained. *Enjoy the show.* The group began heading inside. *Oh! By the way, you don't have any snacks on you, do you?*
"Huh?" Sumire wondered.
*You can't bring any snacks inside. It's on the marquee, for God's sake.* The usher pointed upward.
"Look, man. We ain't got shit, all right!?" Ryuji snapped, impatient to go inside.
*All right, all right. Keep your hair on. No need to get hostile.* The usher put his hands up. *I'm just saying it's better to follow the rules. See you around.* The usher disappeared from the ticket booth in another blue inferno. The Thieves began making their way inside. Before Yu went inside, he turned back and noticed Rise hadn't moved from her spot earlier. He also realized that she hadn't said anything since the usher appeared.
"Rise?" he called out. She kept staring at the now empty ticket booth. "Rise!" Yu yelled out, finally getting her attention.
"…h-huh?" she snapped out of her trance. Yu walked back over to her
"You okay?"
"Y-Yeah, sorry, it's just…never mind. Let's go in." It was obvious to Yu; something was bothering her.
"Rise, are you sure you're-"
"I'm fine, honey, don't worry. It's nothing that can't wait until after Akira is safe," Rise assured him and began walking ahead before turning back. "Oh! And remember, you're supposed to call me 'Venus' here," she smiled and winked. Yu clicked his tongue and joined the others inside.
The Phantom Thieves went inside and saw a staircase leading upward. They walked up and found themselves in what must have been the theater's main lobby. After reaching the top of the stairs, they came across someone; a young boy, who looked around ten or eleven years old, sitting on the floor at the center of a circular rug with his back turned in the other direction. From the top of the stairs, the most the Thieves could make out was that the boy was wearing black and white striped pajamas. He looked like a zebra…or a prisoner.
"What the…?" Morgana asked.
"Shit! Watch out, guys!" Ryuji got on guard.
"Skull, calm down, will you!? It's just a kid," Futaba said.
"We should still be careful. We don't know what to expect," Makoto said.
"What on Earth could a child be doing in a place like this?" Yusuke wondered. Sumire began to approach the child carefully.
"Be careful, Violet," Yu said.
"E-Excuse me?" Sumire softly said. The boy stood up and turned his head towards Sumire. She immediately recognized the boy from his messy black hair and dark silver eyes. "My God…"
*GAAAHHHHH!* the boy yelled in fear as he turned around. He was clearly terrified of this masked individual before him and kept away while remaining defensive. The others were on guard just in case.
"Shh, shh, don't be afraid; it's okay," Sumire calmly said as she put her hands up. The boy noticed the other masked individuals behind her.
*GET AWAY FROM ME!* he yelled as he fell backward before cowering and whimpering in fear. Sumire kneeled down, putting her hand on his arm and gently caressing it. The boy seemed to calm down; he eventually stopped weeping as he looked at her once more.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Sumire softly smiled, lifting her mask, and revealing her face to him. "See? It's all right."
*Wh-what about them!?* the boy asked, pointing at the other Thieves.
"They won't hurt you either, don't worry," she assured him. "Do you mind if they come over here?" the boy hesitantly nodded and Sumire signaled the others to come over. They all lifted their masks, while Yu and Rise removed their glasses.
*Wh-What's your name?* the boy asked.
"My name is…" Sumire had to quickly decide: code name or real name? "… Sumire," she smiled.
*T-That's…a pretty name…* The boy shyly responded, still looking scared.
"Haha, thank you," Sumire softly chuckled. "Um, what's your name?" she asked, despite possibly knowing the answer.
"Oh my God…" Rise whispered before covering her mouth in shock; she definitely already knew the answer.
*…A-Akira…* the boy softly responded; the Thieves all looked at each other and went wide-eyed.
"Y-You're Akira?" Makoto asked; the boy nodded.
*Wh-What is that?* he pointed at Morgana.
"I'm Mona…" he sighed. "…and I'm a cat…" he unenthusiastically replied before sighing.
*H-huh? I-I don't know what's going on…* The boy stood back up. *Who are you, people?*
"We're…uh…" Sumire tried, but she couldn't think of a good explanation.
"W-We're part of a…f-film festival, yeah!" Ryuji choked out.
"R-Right, we're actors in a movie, haha," Haru forcefully chuckled. "That's why we're in costumes."
*A-Are you superheroes?* the boy asked.
"Uhhhh, hehe, yep, superheroes," Ann chuckled. "Can't-cha tell by the masks?"
*Why aren't they wearing any masks?* the boy pointed at Yu and Rise. The latter stepped forward and crouched to be at the same level as him.
"Akira, it's me; i-it's Rise, your cousin." The boy looked confused for a moment, but then slowly began to recognize her.
*…R-Rise…?* Before Rise could get another word out, the group heard a speaker switch on.
*CONTRABAND DETECTED!* a voice yelled.
"Crap, that doesn't sound good…" Futaba said as everyone got on guard.
*Oh, no; it's him…* the boy whispered before running off the rug.
"Wait! Come back!" Sumire yelled. She tried chasing after him, but she and the others found themselves locked in place. The circular rug became a cage as bars sprung up around the group and shot towards the ceiling, trapping the Phantom Thieves within it. The boy ran away and vanished. Everyone looked around, frozen in place. Before they knew it, they felt the wind blow through as if an invisible wave washed through all of them. The wind stopped, and the speakers switched back on.
*CONTRABAND ELIMINATED! NO CURE! ONLY PAIN!* it announced before switching off again. The Thieves were still trapped in the cage.
"Is everyone all right?" Makoto asked; they all nodded.
"What the hell was that?" Yu asked.
"No clue, I couldn't detect anything. I'll try and find a way to get us out of here," Futaba said, scanning the area.
"Me, too," Rise joined her.
"Are we gonna talk about the fact that that kid was Akira!?" Ryuji asked as everyone put their masks and glasses back on.
"I guess it confirms the theory that Akira's had this Palace since he was a little boy," Ann said. "Does that mean we're going up against a kid?"
"Not necessarily," Morgana began. "Remember what he said just before the cage came up?"
"He said, 'It's him,'" Sumire recalled.
"But who could he have been referring to?" Haru pondered.
"Maybe it's the real ruler of this Palace., Morgana theorized.
"But that doesn't make sense," Yu began. "You said the Palace ruler is supposed to be the person's shadow. If that kid wasn't it, then who?"
"Could it be that the Akira we encountered was just a cognition rather than a shadow?" Yusuke wondered.
"I'm not sure," Morgana began. "It's possible, but I don't know. I didn't think it was possible to have both a shadow and a cognition of yourself in one Palace, but then again, I didn't think Persona users could have Palaces, yet here we are." Morgana didn't say, but he had an idea of who the real Palace ruler might be, and he hoped he was wrong. Suddenly, the cage retracted back into the ground, and the Thieves were free.
"All right! Nice going, Oracle!" Ryuji praised her.
"Uh, that wasn't me," she said, confused. "Venus?"
"Don't look at me," Rise shrugged.
*I warned you guys not to bring in your own snacks, but did you listen? Nooooo~,* a voice said in a patronizing tone. They looked behind them to see the usher leaning against a wall at the top of the stairs they had just come up from with his arms and legs crossed. Rise felt herself freeze and tense up once again, but quickly regained composure.
"What the hell did you do to us, asshole!?" Ryuji raised his voice.
*Woah, take it easy there, blondie. I didn't do anything* the usher raised his hands in surrender. *You oughta be a little more appreciative of someone who just let you out of a cage. It's only common sense, you know?*
"What did the voice on the speaker mean by 'contraband?'" Morgana asked.
*I asked you if you had any outside snacks. You said you didn't, but the theater detected some and took them away,* the usher explained.
"Everyone, check yourselves!" Yu ordered; Futaba and Rise ran scans.
"We still have our weapons," Haru noticed. "But…"
"Our medicine is gone," Rise said.
"Not only that, but none of us have healing abilities, like at all. It's like they're nullified or something," Futaba added.
"How is that possible? Did we get hit with some kind of Status Ailment or something?" Makoto asked.
"No clue, but it's as good of an explanation as any," Futaba sighed as she closed her menus.
"So that's what they meant when they said, 'no cure, only pain,'" Yusuke concluded. "Oracle, are you and Venus able to heal us with boosts?"
"Nope, they're all gone."
"We have attack, evasion, and defense boosts, but no healing, " Rise added.
"Well, this mission just got a whole lot harder…" Ann said, sighing.
"Without our ability to heal, we're going to have to be extremely careful from now on," Morgana added.
"Just great…" Yu huffed; the usher looked down and rubbed his knuckles against his shirt.
*I hate to say, 'I told you so,' but you should've followed the rules.*
"Oh, will you shut up!?" Ryuji stepped up to him. "What the hell kinda movie theater is this anyway!?"
"Between, the cage that springs up out of the ground, the guy on the speaker shouting about 'contraband,' and the child in a prisoner outfit, this feels more akin to a prison than a movie theater," Yu added.
*Woah, woah, what are you talking about? What child? I haven't seen anyone around here ever. You guys are the first customers this theater has had.*
"You're telling us that you haven't seen anyone else around here? Ever?" Morgana asked.
*Like I told you outside, I've never even seen the Boss. At this point, if you were to tell me that the kid you mentioned was in charge, I'd probably believe you.*
"We don't have time for this," Sumire began. "Can you please tell us where the grand theater hall is?"
*See those doors down that hallway? That's where our feature presentation is playing.* The usher pointed to a giant set of golden double doors. There was just one problem…
"It's all chained up," Futaba remarked.
"How are we supposed to enter?" Yusuke turned back to the usher, who shrugged.
*I dunno, but it's not the only show we've got playing.* The usher then pointed to doors to other auditoriums that lit up along the hallway. *Make your choice. Once you go in one, I'll turn on the projector. Have fun!* he said before disappearing in a fire yet again. Everyone looked at each other with dubious expressions. They walked over to the golden double doors. The sign above it read, "Regret & Pain." The doors were chained, top to bottom with five locks scattered throughout. There was no chance they were getting through.
"Great…" Ryuji sighed, kicking his heels against the ground.
"Oracle, Venus, do you guys see any other way past that door?" Makoto asked.
"Nada."
"Same."
"Well, shit. Now what?" Yu asked. They decided to go back to the lobby to discuss their next course of action. The lobby was equipped with velvet couches and popcorn machines. It wasn't edible; instead, it was just for decoration. The walls were home to grim-looking movie posters. The Thieves recognized them as similar to the ones they saw in Akira's room last March.
"I just realized, I know there was the usher and kid Akira an' all, but doesn't it seem quiet to anyone else?" Ryuji pondered.
"What do you mean?" Haru asked.
"Well, we ain't seen any other shadows around, 'sides those two."
"That is true, but that doesn't mean we can afford to let our guard down," Makoto stated. "Oracle, can you locate a safe room?"
"We're already in one," Futaba said.
"What?" Makoto raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. The effects of cognition are low in the lobby."
"Explains why we haven't seen any evil shadows around," Ann said.
"I'm sorry, safe room?" Rise asked.
"Every Palace we go through has areas with low cognition," Morgana explained. "We used them as safe rooms to take a breather, go over our progress, and heal up…although that last one is apparently out of the question now."
"I see. Well, we can at least go over our progress. What do we know so far?" Yu asked.
"We have a set of double doors drenched in gold," Ann began.
"That's the main theater hall. I'll bet you all a lifetime supply of instant yakisoba that the treasure is in there," Futaba said.
"Problem is that the door is locked up tight," Rise pointed out.
"From what the usher told us, there are four other theaters that are active. We'll likely find the keys in there," Sumire theorized.
"But there are only four theaters and five locks," Yusuke began. "Even after we go through the four theaters, we'll still be one key short."
"We'll figure that out later. For now, why don't we try one of the other theaters?" Morgana said. "The only question is, where do we start?"
There may have been only four theaters lit up, two on each side of the hallway. But to them, there may as well have been four and twenty-million doors. The corridor felt like it stretched on endlessly, and Akira's treasure felt like a million miles away from them. There was a long road ahead, and it was time to start walking.