This story is a work of fiction.

Any relation to persons, living or dead, as well as events, are purely coincidental.

The author owns none of the characters, or events, that take place here.

The world is not as it should be.

It's filled with distortion, and "ruin" will soon descend.

However...there are those who would challenge fate, in desire for change.

Since time immemorial...they were known as,

"Tricksters."

Persona 5: Hoshi to Bokura to

Confidant II: La Pendu – Part I

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"I have to say, out of all the things I expected out of someone from your profession, possession of such elaborate gun models wasn't one of them. Then again, I suppose there's a lot I don't really know about you, is there, Akira-kun?"

The frizzy-haired teen didn't answer. Sae ust stared at him in scrutiny like before she closed her eyes, reclining in her seat.

"The complexity of those guns are beyond anything a mere high school student is capable of. There's also the fact that some of the models are not registered anywhere. To put it simply, they aren't based off of any known gun here in Japan. In other words, foreign models. Not uncommon, but their design was altered."

As she opened her eyes, they sharpened into daggers and leaned forward, propping an arm to the table.

"Answer me truthfully, Akira-kun...where did you get these guns?"

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"...weapons?"

Currently, the Phantom Thieves sat in a booth at Big Bang Burger, having chosen to relax and take a breather from their Metaverse investigation. They had made decent headway, no doubt in part thanks to Ann's awakening.

Makoto blinked in surprise at Ryuji's suggestion, looking up from her magazine with a quizzical look. "Not be rude, but...why do we need weapons?"

"Well, it was just a thought." the blonde delinquent confessed. "Other than our fists and feet, we really have to rely on our Personas. And we get really effin' tired afterwards. So, I was thinking...wouldn't it be better if we had some weapons to arm ourselves, rather than rely on our powers?"

Ann hummed, taking a bite from her burger. "It makes sense, I guess." she confessed, showing approval for the idea. "It does get tiring, shooting off fireballs everywhere. I imagine it's worse for Akira, using two different personas."

"You have a point." Makoto conceded. "However, where would we procure them? And more importantly, how are you going to hide them?" Her eyes zeroed in on Ryuji. He promptly began to shrink in his seat, terrified of the woman who pretty much ran them on a tight ship. "I do hope you're not thinking of bringing such dangerous items to school grounds. ESPECIALLY since you and Akira-kun are on thin ice as is!"

Immediately, Ryuji held up his hands in defense. "N-no! No no! I wasn't thinking that! I swear!"

"For your sake, I hope so."

Morgana snickered inside Akira's bag. "He's so whipped."

"And while we're on the subject of thin ice..." The not-cat creature yelped when Makoto directed her gaze to him, fur standing up straight. "Just so you know, Morgana, if any of the students or staff catch you, I won't save you."

"Ack! J-Joker!" Morgana looked at his psuedo-landlord with pleading eyes. "You'll save me, won't you?!"

Akira gave him a brief look, barely even a glance, before going back to his food, wisely choosing to stay out of this. He knew better than to cross Makoto. There had been a reason other than her status as Student Council President as to why he gave her the code name of "Queen."

"Et tu, Joker...!"

"A-anyway!" Ryuji returned the conversation, back on track. "If we get weapons, we don't need to rely on our Personas as much. And that means, we won't get tired as easily, right?"

"It would make our lives easier." Akira gave his two cents, tossing a fry into his mouth. "But will it work on Shadows?"

Morgana smiled. "Kukuku... You have much to learn, my little disciples." he said, causing everyone to sweatdrop. Akira gave Makoto a small accusing look, no doubt aware where he had picked up his recent cheesy habits. She at least had the decency to look embarrassed as her cheeks flushed and turned away. "The Metaverse is a world based on cognition. So long as the weapon looks realistic enough, the Metaverse will regard it as real."

"Wait, really?" Ann asked, surprised. "So, say we follow Ryuji's idea. If we were to bring with us a model gun, for example, would it be an actual gun in the Metaverse?"

"As expected of you, Ann-dono!" Morgana sighed heavenly, glad that it was his beloved Ann that understood. "Yes, that's correct! Even a toy knife would be regarded as an actual knife in the Palace!"

Makoto leaned back, folding her arms. "I see... If that's the case, then Ryuji-kun's idea has actual merit." She smiled widely, nodding her head as she turned to the delinquent. "I'm quite impressed."

Ryuji blinked, realizing she was praising him. "It-it wasn't nothing!" he said abashed, scratching the back of his head. "Really!"

"I, for one, am surprised someone like Ryuji thought of it." Morgana quipped, causing Ryuji's good mood to deflate and snarl at the not-cat creature.

"Keep it up, fur-bucket, and I will turn you into stew!"

"Excuse me! Your order's here!" the female voice of the waitress called as she approached the table.

Makoto blinked. "Eh? Wait, Akira-kun's? How long can one order...take..." she promptly trailed off as her mouth fell open, inviting any wandering fly to enter. Ann and Ryuji shared her look while Morgana's eyes widened to the point where they threatened to pop out of his skull. "W-what...on Earth...?"

Akira looked up, finding his food delivered at long last. Smiling and thanking her, he took the plate and set it down. As he grabbed a knife and fork, he noticed the looks on his fellow thieves' face and tilted his head.

"What?"

"...okay, dude." Ryuji broke the silence among them. "I know a few guys who eat a lot because of high metabolism and all that, but...how the hell are you going to eat all that?!"

TakeYourTime

Sunday had arrived. The weather was slightly cloudy, but there was thankfully no report of rain anytime soon.

Akira had arrived at the Shibuya Crossing a few minutes ago and was currently leaning against the wall leading into the station plaza down below, fiddling with his phone. He was most looking for forums and sites about potential hotspots around Tokyo. He figured that if he was going to live here in this concrete jungle, he may as well try and learn more about the place. So far, though, the only real places of notable interest were Shinjuku, which was home to many brothels and bars – essentially a red-light district – and Akihabara, which was notable for its arcade and the various stores that housed electronics, along with a particularly popular maid cafe.

"Should probably stay away from Shinjuku." Morgana told him, reading over his shoulder. Since they were out in public, the cat was able to reveal himself and peered over him. "I don't think the Empress would like the idea of you being in that sort of place."

Akira raised a brow, looking at the cat strangely. "...Empress?"

"If Makoto is a Queen, then her older sister is an Empress." Morgana explained with a slight shudder. "And between the two of them, Sae is a thousand times scarier."

Well, he couldn't refute that. Sae had her moments, but it was in those moments he often remembered just who's house he was staying in. Either way, he shrugged and looked back at his phone, only to stop when he noticed something happening across from him, near the Shiba Statue Monument. He looked up and frowned.

Bullies...

There was really no other way to describe what was happening. What else could you call a bunch of delinquents ganging up on some poor kid?

TakeYourTime

"What's the matter, Kaoru-chan?" one thug, about a year or so older than Kaoru himself, with dark hair and an earring on his left lobe, sneered as he rudely shoved him down to the ground. His back harshly hit the statue's base, causing him to yelp in pain. "Go on. Cry out for mommy! Oh, wait! You don't have one, do you?"

Kaoru, gritted his teeth as he mustered a glare at his bullies. He wanted to strike back, but he refrained. He was not going to give these bastards the satisfaction. He was about to open his mouth and retort a curse at them, which would no doubt infuriate them, but one of them kicked his leg rather brutally. He bit back a cry, grasping his knee as he tried to ease the pain.

"What a wimp." the apparent leader of the thugs remarked with a sneer. He was from the same school as Kaoru, as he wore the same uniform, except it was open with a pin attached to the collar, resembling a grinning devil. "I mean, seriously. What kind of guy just lets us do whatever we want to 'em?"

Kaoru gritted his teeth. He wanted to ram a fist into that smug face of his. Instead, he could only settle for something else. "At least I'm not the one wasting time by picking a fight with some helpless middle-schooler. Who's the pathetic one here, Kai?"

"What was that?!" another of the delinquents growled out, picking Kaoru up by the collar of his shirt, getting dangerously close to his face. "You looking to start something, you shit?!"

"What are you waiting for?" Kaoru challenged unflinchingly, trying his best imitation of his father. "Go on. Do it! You're just going to prove my point."

Kai's smirk turned menacing. "I guess you have a death wish after all." he said, approaching as he dug into his pocket. "Just let me tell you something: you asked for it..."

Kaoru glared back in defiance. The other punks snickered as Kai slowly pulled his hand out of his pocket, holding something in his hand.

He didn't get the chance to show it off, though.

"Hey."

In sync, their heads turned to find a young teen standing a bit away from them. Unlike everyone else in the Crossing, who was doing their best to ignore the sight, he stared back unflinchingly without fear nor intimidation. If anything, he looked annoyed. He was a little older than Kaoru, and much taller, having messy black hair and glasses. He wore a black jacket over a plain white v-neck with a pair of blue jeans, a bag slung over his shoulder. In one hand was a cell phone, which he held away from him and facing them, which showed that he was apparently in the middle of a phone call.

"I hate to interrupt your game and all, but if I were you, I'd beat it. I just called the cops about a bunch of punks causing trouble in public." the teen told them, causing the delinquents to panic. Kaoru's eyes widened at this declaration, wondering why some stranger would do that. "Unless you fancy explaining to the police why you were bullying someone in public and about to threaten him with a knife, I'd start running. Like, right now."

A few in the group clearly didn't buy it, but the others were quite nervous. Kaoru couldn't tell if it was a bluff or something else. Either way, it had the intended effect and result: Kai and his gang fled, bolting like bats out of hell, though not before Kai turned around and dragged his thumb along his neck, indicating that this was far from over.

Kaoru sighed in relief, though he soon winced as he tried to get up. His leg throbbed in discomfort from having a foot stomping on it.

"Bunch of jerks..."

TakeYourTime

"I must say, that was quite impressive." Morgana voiced his approval from the bag as Akira pocketed his phone, leaving Ryuji, who he had called earlier, in a confused state as he hung up. "And most of all, ingenius. Still, what a bunch of idiots. Who bullies someone in a place where everyone can see?!"

Their thoughts were in agreement. It was stupidity. Even worse was the fact that everyone pretended it wasn't happening.

It bitterly reminded him of his own circumstances.

He walked over to the middle-school student named Kaoru and bent forward, offering his hand. "You okay?"

"...y-yeah." Kaoru nodded, taking his hand and pulling himself up. "Um, thank you. For a moment, I thought things were going to get hairy."

"They might as well have." Morgana chirped. "Especially since that guy was about to bust out a knife."

That had been the most distressing. He knew bullying could be quite serious. He had been a victim of it when he was in Elementary School, but pulling out a knife? In such a crowded place?! Clearly, Tokyo truly was nothing like the quiet suburbs he was familiar with. Still, he was glad he intervened in time.

"Um..." Akira returned his attention to Kaoru who tilted his head to the side. "If, you don't mind me asking...why'd you save me?"

"Do I need a reason?"

"W-well, no, but..."

"Yo, Akira!"

The two males turned to find a familiar blonde rushing up. It was Ryuji, slightly sweaty as if indicating that he had been running. "Sorry I took a while," he apologized, a bit breathless. "Kinda had some trouble with a drunk homeless guy when I got off the station." He gave himself a small whiff before his nose crinkled. "Gah... Now I smell like booze."

"Don't worry about it."

"So, why'd you call me earlier? And what was that about the police?"

Kaoru's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Akira. The frizzy-haired teen, in response, gave him a small grin before returning his attention to his teammate. "It was nothing."

Ryuji frowned before he shrugged. He then took notice of Kaoru. "Huh? Who're you?"

"O-oh, um, I'm...!"

Flustered, Kaoru was unable to form a response. Akira couldn't blame him, since he was still shaken up. Ryuji was understandably confused about his presence and looked to him for clarification. "Found a couple of kids bullying him."

"Ah." Ryuji nodded in understanding. "Well, anyway, you ready to head out?"

"Mm. What store are we looking for, exactly?"

"I dunno where it is. Supposed to be somewhere in the Street Center. I think it was called Airsoft?"

Kaoru blinked, looking at the two. "You guys...are looking for the Airsoft shop?" he asked, a bit surprised. Akira quirked an eyebrow. It was obvious he knew the shop in question that they were looking for. Perhaps even familiar with it. "W-why?"

"Oh, we're uh..." Ryuji scratched the back of his head. "Um, how do I put it? We're kind of..."

Morgana sighed. "Typical Ryuji..."

Akira shook his head in amusement. Meanwhile, Kaoru continued to stare at the two curiously before he looked to be mulling over a decision. After a moment, he nodded. "If you guys want, I..."

TakeYourTime

Airsoft was located in the back alley, just across the adjacent alley where the gym Ryuji frequented. The shop was quite small, though that was mostly due to the numerous items that littered it. There were a couple of mannequins, dressed heavily in camo gear and Kevlar, some posing wielding rifles or handguns. There were a few gacha machines as well, though the items inside weren't plastic capsules. Instead, they were outfitted with tickets or coupons, usually for a hot item that the owner had on his catalog.

The air reeked of gunpowder and oil, causing Morgana to gag, nostrils flaring. "Ugh, what is that smell?!" he asked, repulsed. "It's positively filthy!"

Akira wanted to agree. He was horribly unused to such foreign smells invading his nostrils, especially so aggressively. He was unsure where to look exactly, taken in by the sheer difference that the store's decorations provided. It was his first time in such a store, so he was naturally thrown off by the vibrant, rebellious air it exuded.

His eyes eventually found the store owner, sitting behind a counter with his legs propped up the glass display case containing a wide variety of model pistols and revolvers and a magazine in his hand. He was a middle-aged man with gray hair, faint stubble around his mouth with sideburns and earrings. A tattoo of a gecko was printed on the left side of his neck near the back. He wore a gray hat with yellow ear defenders, a black turtleneck sweater, a long gray coat with a red peace symbol on it, blue jeans and dark boots. In his mouth was either a smoke or a lollipop, it was hard to tell from a distance.

"Hey, dad." Kaoru said with a hint of nervousness. Ryuji's jaw became unhinged as he looked at the boy in disbelief. Akira blinked, stunned for a moment before he looked back and forth between the store owner and Kaoru.

That was his father?

"...Kaoru." the man sighed as he set his magazine down, pulling out the white stick in his mouth, revealing it to be a blue-colored lollipop. "What have I told you about coming to the..." He trailed off when he turned to look at his son. His eyes narrowed sharply when he saw the obvious red bruise on his cheek. Almost immediately, he stood up and moved around the case, ignoring Akira and Ryuji altogether. Kaoru flinched under his gaze, especially when the man cupped his chin and turned his head to inspect it. "Who did this?"

"It-it was Kai..."

The man scowled. "Most well-behaved school environment my tight little ass." he muttered in distaste. "And? Did you fight back?"

"No." Kaoru responded almost immediately as his father stepped back. "I didn't want to give him the satisfaction."

The man smiled thinly. "Thatta' boy." he nodded in approval. He then took notice of Akira and Ryuji at last, slipping a hand into his pants pocket. "You the guys who helped him out of the scuffle?"

"It was most Akira here." Ryuji blabbed before he could say anything, much to his chagrin, patting his shoulder. He gave a small sigh as the man sized him up, eventually locking eyes with each other. He shifted under the steely gaze. Had he not known any better, he thought the man actually had a gun on him. "Um, are you the owner?"

The man didn't respond. Not at first. He just continued to study Akira before closed his eyes, seeing all he needed to say and nodded, looking at them both. "Yeah. I'm Iwai. So, what brings two high school brats to my shop?"

"A-ah, we're uh..."

"They were looking for your shop, so I brought them here." Kaoru explained. "I figured that they were customers."

Iwai hummed, scratching his chin. "Well, can't say I don't approve of having some fresh faces. Most of the guys who wander in here are usually hobbists or the usual otaku."

"Otaku...?" Ryuji wondered aloud, cocking his head.

"So, what're you brats doing here? If you want to browse, then git. I don't have time for window shoppers."

Ryuji scowled. "Geez, rude much?!"

Kaoru laughed nervously, looking back and forth between the two. Ryuji was clearly annoyed by the man's understandable nature. Morgana sighed in disappointment, shifting in Akira's bag while the teen himself just sighed again for the upteenth time. It was starting to become a regular thing.

Well, at least he had those old mafia films his father had to use as reference.

"We're looking to buy model guns." he said, cutting in before Ryuji could make a snide remark or Iwai about to tear into them. "Preferably American models. A shotgun, a semi-automatic rifle, a revolver and a standard handgun, if you don't mind."

His words left the two adolescents blinking, staring at him with owl-like eyes. Even the not-cat creature was thrown for a loop by his answer.

The requested models had been based on his and Makoto's observations. They tended to liken everyone to certain positions. In this case, Ryuji would be an aggressive front-line brawler, getting up close and personal. That was best reflected by Captain Kidd, who rammed its ship into a poor Shadow before letting loose with a volley of electricity. Ann, meanwhile, was more like a supporter. Carmen was good at throwing fireballs, but like Orpheus, she could also heal injuries if they ever came up. Not to mention the fact the Persona used its whips and chains for some strange Shadow fishing.

Makoto, by her own admission, favored the revolver because of its decent range. While accuracy would be something of a problem, she more than made up for it with Johanna.

And as for himself...the handgun was simple. It had a moderate range, and it had good power to it. Admittedly, it wouldn't spread out like Ann or be as powerful as Ryuji, but he preferred the more simpler weapons.

Iwai, unlike the others, grinned. "Quite the order, kid." he mused, clearly impressed. "Mind if I ask what you intend to use 'em for?"

"Not for a bank robbery, if that's what your asking." Akira responded rather cheekily. "And it isn't to admire the work, either."

Iwai smirked, removing his hand from his pocket and folded his arms over his chest. "Pretty young to be a gun enthusiast, don't you think?"

"No. Not really."

"Well, aren't you a little brat?" the gunstore owner grinned. "Okay, then. Let me bring the catalog out. Oi, Kaoru. Head on home. And make sure you finish all yer homework, okay?"

TO BE CONTINUED...

Confidants:

Munehisa Iwai – the HANGED MAN: [The owner of the alleyway shop Airsoft. A rather shady individual, but invaluable to the Phantom Thieves for weaponry. Has a son in middle school.]

A/N: Whoo! Yes, got it done! And...oh my god. Seriously? It is 2:40 AM in the fucking morning?

...okay. Tell me what you guys think of the chapter, particularly how I introduced Iwai in this chapter. Tell me if there are any flaws, and I will get back to you. Please follow, favorite and review.

Now, if you excuse me...the sand man is calling my name.

...zzz...zzz...zzz...