"Encounter"
Persona 5: Fanfiction
By Confused Panda Bear
Prologue:
"Keep it Brief"
"Did you hear…?"
"...She's been with the agency less than a year and she's already out in the field…"
"...Is she even qualified…?"
"...I guess you get your pick of the assignments when you're sleeping with Kamoshida–"
"–Takamaki-san?"
Nijima Makoto waved an obstructive hand in front of vacant blue eyes before they blinked back to life.
Even at this point, sitting alone with her in that dingy classroom, Ann wasn't sure how she had managed to get herself into this situation.
"Yes – sorry Nijima-senpai," Ann's head sunk into her shoulders apologetically. "I spaced out for a bit. Can you repeat the question?"
As a former model with only a high school diploma under her belt, it was a miracle that Ann had managed to land a job at the country's national security agency, let alone be on her first assignment within six months of her start date.
The situation was virtually unheard of, so it was no wonder why her colleagues – with their numerous years of experience and specialised university degrees – thought her looks, that their boss' favouritism and obvious infatuation with her had something to do with the fact.
Even though it wasn't true, it hurt.
The condescending words of her superiors and whispered rumours of her peers were one of the many reasons why she decided to leave the fashion industry in the first place. But to Ann's dismay, it seemed that this would be the case wherever she went.
Makoto regarded her with unease before inhaling deeply, reigning in the reproachful words on the tip of her tongue.
"I wanted to go through the personnel profiles one more time," she repeated, her tone remarkably calm despite her waning impatience.
She reached for a brown manila folder and emptied its contents across the table between them.
The spread included various, covert photographs taken of several people of whom she recently discovered were members and associates of one of Tokyo's most wanted criminal gangs.
They called themselves the 'Phantom Thieves'.
Makoto and her team had been trying to track down for several years now – the reason evident from the images laid down next to their profiles, of several of the violent crime scenes that they had left behind.
Ann swallowed down the acid rising from her stomach to the back of her throat.
"Can you tell me who the main members are?" Makoto asked, watching carefully as the girl scanned the images in front of her.
"Kitagawa Yusuke," she said, pointing at the clearest photograph they had. "Code name: Fox."
"Correct," Makoto confirmed with a half-smile. "According to our sources, he deals with their finances so he's well connected. I'd keep an eye on who he speaks to, who he calls or messages on his phone…"
Ann nodded and committed his pretty profile to memory.
From the hasty snapshot taken in a crowded art gallery, she could see that the man was not only handsome but tall in comparison to the other patrons, with slight shoulders and dark hair that fell into his eyes.
Makoto had explained to her earlier that Kitagawa Yusuke was their 'in' with the Phantom Thieves.
The man was educated at one of the country's most prestigious art schools and was notorious for his eccentric personality and obsession with aesthetics. He often insisted on being in the presence of beauty and in particular, in the company of beautiful women – and that was, apparently, where she came in.
"And him?" Makoto pressed, pointing at the image of another, bleached haired man with dark brown eyes and an almost devilish look about him.
Unlike Kitagawa Yusuke, this man was what Ann imagined a mobster to look like. Everything from his shaven brows to the chain he wore on his jeans screamed high-school-delinquent turned member of a criminal gang.
"That's Sakamoto Ryuji," she answered. "Though the Phantom Thieves call him Skull. He's athletic, a skilled fighter and, uh..." she swallowed, "...carries around a metal pipe."
"Correct. He's the right-hand man of their leader, but still likes to get involved in the bloodshed every now and then," Makoto added with a frown.
Ann's attention involuntarily turned to one of the photographs of a recent victim, knees blown off and face beaten to obscurity.
Before today, she could not believe that someone could inflict that kind of brutality on another human being, but the Phantom Thieves were prolific for their violence as well as their illegal activities.
They made their millions and gained their power by blackmailing public figures and executing corrupt politicians.
But their most heinous act, and what the Phantom Thieves were the most infamous for, was their involvement in an attack that killed Japan's previous Vice President, as well as several dozens of civilians, almost three years ago to the day.
The final photograph she was shown was taken from some old CCTV footage, exhibiting the pixelated profile of a man under a hood that half covered his head of messy black hair.
His features were barely distinguishable behind the glare of his thick-rimmed glasses reflecting into the camera lens.
It was astonishing, maybe even impressive, that this was the clearest photograph that the nation's intelligence had of him in years.
Nevertheless, it still managed to elicit a tremor of unease up the length of her spine.
Everyone in their field knew who he was because he was the most dangerous and wanted man in Japan.
"Kusuru Akira," her voice wavered. "He is the...leader of the Phantom Thieves."
"Correct," Makoto said with a stern nod. "And what do they call him?"
"Joker."