"So... you guys ready for the big reveal of the all-new Ann Takamaki?"

Ann had met up with Ren and Ryuji in the attic above Leblanc. The contrast between the old-school analogue cafe that primarily catered to those left behind by the technological boom brought about by the Kirijo Group's Persona development at the turn of the millennium, and a state-of-the-art product of said boom that was about to be unveiled, was almost surreal.

Over half of Japan's population had some form of cybernetic augmentation by now, the three teens included. It was those augmentations, and the vital neural implants needed to operate them efficiently, that had allowed the three to become the Phantom Thieves, in turn allowing them to expose the vile crimes of Suguru Kamoshida, further in turn leading to Ann being given a top-of-the-line new Persona by the Kirijo Group following the smearing the corporation received in the media thanks to Ichiko Ohya's article.

And so, Ann now stood in the centre of the room, her body hidden under a jacket, gloves, baggy trousers and a hoodie. All that was clear to see was her hair, still in that slightly artificial-looking shade of her natural blonde.

"Hell, yeah, we are!" Ryuji exclaimed before apologising to a glare sent his way by Ren, since Boss had only let them hang out up here if they weren't a bother to the customers downstairs. "Uh, I mean... Yes, yes we are."

"Good," Ann sighed, "because it's seriously getting hot under this outfit. Seriously, why is it so hot in here?"

"Boss caters to old people without temperature regulating augmentations?" Ren suggested.

"I guess. I was more hoping you'd pick up on the fact that a full-body cyborg was complaining about temperature, but I guess I'll accept your answer to the other part of my comment."

"Oh, I noticed," Ren grinned. "I just enjoy being a smartass."

"More like a joker," M.O.N.A. quipped from Ren's phone, which was set up on a stand so as to place his onscreen avatar and Ann in each other's field of vision.

"Wait, is that why he's called that?" Ann asked.

"Dude, focus," Ryuji said flatly.

"Oh, right! This is about me. Anyway, here goes!" With the practiced ease one would expect of a world-class model, Ann thrust her arms back and down, compelling her heavy jacket to slide right off her shoulders, down her arms to the floor. That this action also pushed out her chest left the two boys feeling conflicted for numerous reasons. They quickly refocused on her arms, which were a stark contrast to her previous body.

Ever since Ren had first met her and Ryuji had reconnected with her, Ann's body had been a lower-end model; cheap and affordable, while also benefiting her career modelling for Model Mode Magazine's... particular clientele. It was akin to a mannequin or a doll with very obvious joints that give the user a very robotic look, similar to most androids. While those joints were also visible on this newer model, they were much fainter, to where the boys were sure they wouldn't even have noticed them from where they sat if they hadn't known to look for them.

Ann followed this up by dropping her trousers to reveal a pair of spandex shorts underneath, allowing most of her legs to be shown off as just as smooth and natural-looking as her arms. She stepped out of her pants and kicked them off to the side, the similarities to some sort of seductive striptease making the boys even more uncomfortable - especially in light of what they'd seen inside Kamoshida's mind.

Finally, Ann pulled down the hood of her short-sleeved hoodie to give the boys a full view of her face. Ren's mind instantly flashed back to the first time he saw Ann and she did much the same after getting under shelter from the rain. That strikingly beautiful image was still so vivid in his mind that it allowed for perfect clarity as he compared the two faces.

The old one, as was standard with Persona faces, was by far the least obviously artificial portion of the body, as early tests and studies showed that adjustment was far less successful if the user felt artificial from simply looking at their own reflection. As such, they lacked the tell-tale puppet-like creases and slits many basic androids bore. But even so, there was a clear hardness to her old face, both in expression and in material. It was like the difference between a plastic recreation of a human face and a silicone one, which Ren supposed likely was the difference between the two. Great strides had been made since the earliest Persona models and Ren wasn't completely up-to-date on the full history of the line's development (though he suspected Ann herself was by now).

But most important of all the minutely subtle differences was her eyes. They were brighter than those he had first seen back in April - not only in the literal sense, as the new sky-blue shone like Christmas tree lights, but also in a metaphorical sense. She had always been beautiful, only becoming more and moreso as he learned her body was not some mass-produced model, but instead based on an algorithmically-generated rendition of what Ann would have looked like at sixteen if not for the accident; then even more as he got to know the truly kind and caring person underneath that early expectation of a ditzy but standoffish girl with as many rumours circulating about her as there were about him; and now yet moreso seeing her truly happy for the first time since he'd met her.

After waiting a few moments for the boys to take it all in and receiving no response, Ann spoke up. "So? What do you think?" She gave a nice twirl to show her back as well.

"You look incredible, Lady Ann," M.O.N.A. responded when it was clear that both boys were too speechless to do so.

"Aww... Thanks, M.O.N.A. You're so sweet. Unlike the two mimes over here."

"Hey, I... I just gotta find the right words, okay?" Ryuji stumbled. "You, uh... you look great. Just like I always imagined you would before... you know. It's great that you got a body that looks so human after all this time. It's about damn time you got to be happy again."

"Th-Thanks, Ryuji." Ann blushed. She actually blushed. This body truly was incredible. "That really means a lot to me. A-And what about you, Ren? What do you think?"

"Ann-droid Taka-mech-y."

"Uuuuuh, what?"

"Ryuji said it best and I had nothing else to add, so I figured I'd make a pun."

"You're so weird."

"Better weird than just like everyone else."

"True, I guess."

"It's also a common defence mechanism," M.O.N.A. chimed in.

"A defence mechanism? What for?"

"Well..." Ryuji spoke up, trying to put words to their mutual conflicted feelings. "This all seems a little... I dunno... kinda awkward... after what went down with Kamoshida, y'know? Y'know, with you takin' off your clothes ta show us your body an' all."

Ann considered this for a moment, her expression thoughtful and a little sombre. "Yeah, I get where you're coming from with that. But I feel like this is something I have to do, you know? Like... Like I need to reclaim what was taken from me, if that makes any sense?"

"Yeah, I think I get it," Ryuji nodded. "When ya put it like that, it kinda makes me feel bad about bein' uncomfortable."

Ann smiled warmly. "Don't be. It shows that you're worried about me after everything that's happened. You have no idea how much that means to me. I'm so grateful for everything you guys've done for me."

"Enough ta pay for the buffet?" Ryuji asked jokingly.

"No way! I'm not made of money. This thing cost me an arm and a leg."

"Ah, funny," Ren replied.

"Guess you should give up that 'Joker' name now, huh, Renren?"

"I guess so."

"Come on, I'm fine with 'Panther'. It matches my claws. Ooh! Speaking of 'claws'... check this out, it's super cool."

Ann held up her hand so that her fingernails were visible. At first, the boys thought the supposedly cool thing was simply that her new hands actually had nails, as most cheaper models tended to leave off unnecessary style in favour of core function. However, her nails, a natural pinkish colour, slowly shifted in colour to a deep red. Then through purple to blue, through green to yellow, and then through orange back to red.

"Woah, nice!" Ryuji exclaimed, sitting up to give himself a better look. "Does it do that on the toes too?"

"Well, duh! What would be the point if I couldn't co-ordinate?" Ann popped one of her boots off with practiced ease and interlocked her fingers with her toes to show off all ten digits cycling the spectrum in perfect unison before settling on a nice baby blue that matched her eyes. Her ability to maintain her balance was either a natural talent or some auto-balancing system in her body - either one would be very impressive.

"That's cool," Ren said in genuine awe. "And you have total motor control of your extremities too?"

"Yep!" Ann chirped, showing off a range of motion with both her fingers and toes. "And it's all paid for by the Kirijo Group. No way I'm letting this baby go to waste."

"What about you, Ryuji?" M.O.N.A. asked. "Can your leg do anything like that?"

"Nah. Mine ain't got toes," Ryuji replied, shaking his head and kicking off a shoe. "Too expensive." With his cybernetic leg up on the coffee table in front of him, the sheer difference in price and technology between the two blondes' augmentations was quite apparent.

As he'd stated, Ryuji's leg lacked any toes. It also lacked most of the natural curves one would expect of a human foot. The foot was closer to a shoe in shape than a human foot, its only points of articulation being at the ankle and the ball of the foot. Evidently, the lack of intricate motor function in that area allowed it to be sold for cheap, which was likely Ryuji's family's best option at this point.

"Damn, that lack of connection from your brain must be like a phantom pain," Ren noted.

"Kinda. Doesn't hurt though."

"And I can't imagine that flat foot is too useful for running, huh?"

"Nah," Ryuji sighed, placing the unsophisticated prosthetic back in his shoe. "The first one my mom bought me was more suited to it before Kamoshida trashed it, but it ain't like I got much use for a runnin' foot now."

"Geez, now I feel bad for showing off what a great body I've got," Ann said, dismayed.

"Okay, first, you always had a great body," Ryuji said, struggling to hide his smirk. "Second, It's really not a big deal. My mom's savin' up to get a top-a'-the-line model for when I stop growin', then I'm gonna pay 'er back every last yen."

"You're a really great guy, Ryuji," Ann said, a smile returning to her face.

"Naw."

"Don't you 'naw' us, bucko. She's right. You've been through just as much adversity as the two of us, had all that weight on your shoulders, and yet you're still standing and you came out of it all with a smile on your face and a willingness to help others. If Ann's the heart of this team and M.O.N.A.'s the brains, you're definitely the backbone."

"What does that make you?"

"The sense of humour?"

"Nah, really."

"The hands?" Ann suggested. "Or, maybe the mouth?"

"No, the cat's definitely the mouth with all that braggin'."

"What was that!? Come back into the Metaverse and say that to my face!"

"What, you wanna go!?"

"Alright, settle down, you two," Ren said, clapping his hands to take charge of the situation.

"He really is the hands," Ann said in awe after her two arguing friends calmed down. "Oh, yeah, I got something else while I was out." Ann crossed the room to where the trio had left their bags and began rifling through hers until she found a large box.

"What? Some new boots to go with the new bod?" Ryuji suggested.

Ann paused for a moment, wide-eyed. "Oh! That's actually a really good idea! I should totally do that! But, uh, no, this is something else." She placed the box down on the table, it only becoming apparent how heavy it was once it left her cybernetic arms. She removed the lid and Ren and Ryuji recoiled as soon as they saw what was inside.

Inside the box, curled up in a ball was a black cat. It was perfectly still, not even breathing, which seemed to relate to the box's lack of air holes and Ann's general lackadaisical treatment of it as she left it unaddressed for this long. She noticed their horrified reactions and rolled her eyes.

"Guys, come on. I'm not dumb enough to buy a real cat and keep it in a box. It's an android cat."

"An android cat?" Ren asked, now intrigued. "They have those?"

"Yeah? You don't have them in the country?"

"Not as far as I know. Or, maybe that explains the influx of strays in the neighbourhood before I moved out here?"

"W-Well, anyway, I saw this and I immediately thought of M.O.N.A."

"Ah, I see it," Ryuji nodded, leaning in close. "It's got the same white paws an' tail tip. Put a little scarf on it and it'll be just like he was a real cat."

"I wanna see!" M.O.N.A. exclaimed from Ren's phone. Ann lifted the cat up as if it was a real living creature and held it up for the A.I. to see. "Woah! You're right, it does look like me!"

"Right? So, I figured, if a human brain can be transferred between Personas and even access the Metaverse, then why shouldn't an A.I. that lives in the Metaverse be able to do that with an android body? Androids run on some sort of A.I., after all. So, why not see if M.O.N.A. can transfer himself into this body and control it like I can with mine?"

"Oh!" Ryuji exclaimed in understanding. "Yeah, then he can walk around the real world when we're not on missions. That's hella smart!"

"Right? Then we can take him to the buffet with us and he can eat some of the cyborg food!"

"You're a true genius, Lady Ann," M.O.N.A. practically sighed like a lovestruck teenager.

"Can androids even process food?" Ren asked.

"Uh... Hmm... Anyway, this is a good idea, I think," Ann insisted. "Um... Anyone know how to set it up?"

"Wait, you don't?" Ryuji responded incredulously. "You came up with this whole plan an' you don't even know how to do it?"

"Hey, I'm just the idea girl! Boys are more into technology, so I thought one of you would know."

"That ain't even remotely true. You ever seen how much girls use their phones?"

"Obviously. I am one!"

"Guys, let's be civil. Ann's idea is great. It's just a little setback for now, but I'm sure we can find an answer if we search online."

"But that could take hours," Ryuji complained. "And that buffet bookin' is only good for today."

"It's alright," M.O.N.A. said in an understanding tone. "You guys go have your buffet and I'll do a search to find a way to make this work."

"I'd feel bad if we left you out after getting this far," Ann replied sombrely.

"It's okay. It's not like there'd be much food there for me to eat anyway. B-But... I appreciate the thought, Lady Ann." M.O.N.A.'s avatar almost seemed to be blushing.

"Aww, anything for my little man." She scratched at the cat avatar on the screen with a big smile on her face.

"Ah! Careful!"

"Relax, Ren. I don't actually have claws. It's just a metaphor for my feisty personality."

"Or how you sleep through class like a cat," Ryuji interjected with a huge grin.

"One time! And that was in middle school!"

"Fair. But still, you've always been a big fan of cats, huh?"

"Yep. They're so cute and fluffy."

"Cute and fluffy..." M.O.N.A. mumbled.

"Oh! I also saw one android body of a panther and was sooo tempted to buy it, but it wouldn't really be discreet."

"Maybe not discreet," Ryuji grinned, "but it woulda' been hella funny to sick it on Kamoshida in the real world."

"Can you imagine?" Ren laughed. "Sick 'em, Panther!"

"Yes, Sir!" Ann exclaimed, readying her whip.

"Uh, I'm pretty sure he was talkin' ta the robot panther."

"I-I knew that!"

"Suuuuure."

"Okay," Ren said, standing and grabbing his phone from its perch. "I think that's a strong sign we should get going now, before Ann gets any Ann-grier."

"More like Hann-grier," Ann moaned. "I've never been so hungry. Just thinking about all the food I can try now... Did you know this model can process real food? I haven't eaten any real sweets in, like, a decade almost. And I can't even gain weight with this body."

"Wow, best of both worlds, huh?" said Ryuji.

"Yep. Ooh, I wonder if they'll have any fatty tuna there! I love that stuff!"

"Fatty tuna..." M.O.N.A. mumbled.

"Tell you what," Ren said, "let's stop by Doctor Takemi's clinic on the way. She's good with androids and cyborgs. If she knows how to get M.O.N.A.'s new body up and running, that could save us a good few hours of searching."

"Is it close?" Ann asked, a hand on her stomach, leading Ren to wonder if she actually could feel hunger pains.

"Right around the corner. If you lean out the window, you can see it just down the street."

Ryuji did exactly that. "Oh, I think I see it. Alright, let's go!"

"Someone's fired up," Ann noted.

"Wouldn't be a real celebration if only three of us got to go. Even if we only get, like, an hour with the four of us, it beats only bein' three of us for longer."

"Ryuji..."

"Alright then. Let's go see the doc."

"Right!"

"All done."

"That was fast!"

"A.I.s are naturally more adept at adapting to a new body than a human brain. The interfacing and signal-mapping is very simple for an artificial mind to complete. An organic mind takes a lot longer to acclimatise to the new body, as I'm sure you're already aware."

"You can tell I'm a cyborg on sight?"

"I work with cyborgs and androids all day, everyday. It's only natural I'd know all the signs. Yours is quite advanced for a high schooler to have. Are you, by any chance, Ann Takamaki-san?"

"W-What? Am I famous?"

"I read about a high schooler from Shujin Academy who was going to receive a state-of-the-art Persona from the Kirijo Group as reparations for past misdeeds. Seeing a seventeen-year-old with such a body, in this part of town, so soon after, hanging out with Amamiya who wore a Shujin uniform when he first came here - it wasn't difficult to put two-and-two together."

"(Yo, she's smart.)"

"(You can see why I thought she'd be able to help.)"

"If Ichiko Ohya's article was at all accurate and not just spin to help you get a better deal from the Kirijo Group, then it sounds like you've been through a lot. For whatever it's worth to hear from a stranger, I'm glad to see you came out of that incident with a smile on your face."

"Yeah... Thanks to these guys."

"And those Phantom Thieves."

"Y-Yeah. Them too. Whoever they are."

"(Uh-oh.)"

"So, how's M.O.N.A.?"

"(Nice save.)"

"He's strutting around the exam room like he owns the place."

"He really is a cat."

"Feel free to go right inside."

"Check me out! I'm a real cat now!"

"You're bringing whole new meaning to the term-"

"Catwalk!"

"Ann..."

"Come on, it was too easy to not steal."

"Fair. You've really taken this whole thief thing to heart, huh?"

"Lookin' good, M.O.N.A.!" Ryuji crossed the room and picked up the cat under his front legs. "You're surprisingly light for a robot."

"Ah! Put me down! I wanted to be held by Lady Ann first!"

"Alright, alright, don't scratch at me! Here."

"Aww, is my little man upset that mean old Uncle Ryuji picked him up first?"

"More like Papa Ryuji."

"Huh? Papa?"

"You guys are like a married couple with a baby that cries whenever his dad holds him."

Ryuji, Ann and M.O.N.A. exchanged glances. Ryuji and Ann then burst out laughing. In her laughter, Ann clutched M.O.N.A. tighter. This seemed to finally placate the factitious feline.

"So, you guys ready to go celebrate Kamoshida's downfall as a full team?"

"Yeah!"

"Thanks for helping with this, Doc."

"It's no problem. You've helped me plenty already. It was about time I returned some of the favour."

"Even so, you really helped out a friend of mine. I'm really grateful for that."

"This isn't the Gratefulness Olympics. Let's just say we're even for now and my debt to you will resume starting with our next trial."

"If you insist."

"I do."

"Thank you, Doctor. Being able to walk around like this is amazing. I owe you so much for this."

"Agree to come by next time I have a child patient and we'll call it even."

"Deal."

"Alright then, shall we be off?"

"Hell yeah! Let's go eat!"

"Alright, see you next time, Doc."

"...Amamiya. A word, if I may."

"Sure, Doc. You guys go ahead. I'll catch up."

"I won't keep you long. I just wanted to let you know that having this little project to work on... it may have been quick, but it was nice to have something to take my mind off my research and Miwa-chan. Thank you for that."

"Any time. If you ever need to just talk or something, don't hesitate to call."

"What would people say if they knew I was calling my little guinea pig out of the blue just to chat?"

"That talking to a friend about your issues is a good thing and you should keep doing it?"

"Heh. That's exactly the response I expected from you. I'll have your number soon enough."

"Here it is, on my phone."

"Sometimes, I think you try too hard to be funny. But it's amusing, so I'll allow it."

"How kind."

"On a totally unrelated note, you can feel free to call me just to talk about your own struggles as well. You can only cover them up with jokes for so long."

"...I'll keep that in mind."

"Anyway, don't let me keep you any longer. You go have fun with your friends and your new cat."

"Alright. Thanks for everything, Doc. It really means a lot to me."

"Yes, yes, away with you now."

...

"Yes, Takamaki-san... Whoever they are..."