TRIGGER WARNING:
- Mentions of rape
- Threats of rape

Chapter Nine
A Rebellious Bird

Friday, April 15th

Chiyo's hands flew to her mouth; several students, Takamaki included, screamed as soon as Suzui threw herself off the roof. Ushimaru tried to get the students to calm down and return to class with no results. There was no getting control of the students, not after that.

Takamaki tore forward, bumping into Chiyo in her rush. Chiyo stood stone still as Takamaki disappeared down the hall and downstairs. She forced her legs to move, she had to see for herself whether or not Suzui survived the fall. Suzui would just come out of it injured, right? It wasn't a lethal fall. She had to see for herself, not hear several conflicting stories through word of mouth.

It did not take long before Ryuji and his class filed out of their room. Meeting up with him, Chiyo grabbed onto him by the upper arm. Her hands were shaking terribly. "H-Hey!" Ryuji stuttered. He held his hands out on either side of Chiyo, unsure of what to do. "What's goin' on?! Everyone's freakin' out!"

"It's Suzui…" Chiyo paused to swallow, her mouth had suddenly turned dry. "She just jumped off the roof!"

"Shit! She should be in the courtyard, right?!"

"I think so…"

She ushered Ryuji around before they sprinted downstairs to the first floor. In front of the courtyard exit, students were crowded around the door. Ryuji held onto Chiyo by the forearm as he pushed their way through the crowd.

Between Suzui's fall and that very moment, someone had called an ambulance; Suzui was loaded onto a stretcher. All the while students observing the scene had their phones out, taking pictures or videos of the scene. Chiyo looked around her, incredibly tempted to smack someone's phone out of their hand. Didn't any one of these idiots realize what they were doing was just fucked up? Suzui could be dying and all they could do was take pictures?!

"What the fuck is wrong with these people?!" Ryuji hissed, voicing what was running through Chiyo's mind.

"We need someone to go with her," one of the paramedics called. "Are there any teachers around?"

"I'll go!" Takamaki called from somewhere in the crowd. "I know her, I'll go!"

The paramedic gave Takamaki an approving nod, allowing her at Suzui's side. Takamaki knelt down beside Suzui as the paramedics prepared to load her up. "Shiho…" Takamaki whispered, barely able to hold back her tears. "Why…?"

Suzui's eyes opened, however, her gaze was unfocused. "Ann…?" she questioned through her broken voice. "I'm sorry. I… I can't take this… anymore…"

"What?" Takamaki lowered her ear to Suzui's lips allowing her to tell her just why. Whatever Suzui said was heard by Takamaki alone, but her face paled as Suzui told her story. "Huh… Kamoshida?!"

Suzui lost consciousness, unable to respond to Takamaki's follow-up questions. Between seeing her friend this broken, and the revelation she revealed to her, all Takamaki could do was scream.

Chiyo felt the need to cry as the paramedics loaded Suzui onto the back of the van. Yesterday, it seemed like Suzui would have given her a legitimate chance. She was one of the nicer students Chiyo came across. To think someone like Suzui was pushed so far over the edge…

Mishima's panic-stricken yell had caused both Chiyo and Ryuji to whip around and spot him amongst the crowd. He broke out into a run back into the school, nearly tripping over himself in the process. One look exchanged between Ryuji and Chiyo was all it took before they gave chase after him.

They cornered Mishima. Literally.

"Why'd you run like that?" Ryuji demanded.

If Mishima was trying to be cool and simply shrug it off, he was failing miserably. His body language, posture, eyes, all gave away the intense emotions going through him. "I didn't run…"

"She jumped and tried to kill herself!"

"L-Leave me alone…"

"Mishima-kun, please!" Chiyo pleaded. She held a hand over her chest, as though that were enough to reassure Mishima. "If you know something you can tell us. If she dies shouldn't her family know why?"

She heard Mishima's sharp intake of breath. His eyes suddenly grew wide, fit to burst. Trembling something fierce, Mishima held his head in his hands. "Suzui…" he warbled, "she was called out by Kamoshida-sensei!"

"Kamoshida?!"

"I was called by him several times too… to the teacher's room. It wasn't just me or Suzui either. He'd nominate someone when he was in a bad mood… and hit them."

"Oh my god…"

"So the physical punishment was for real…." murmured Ryuji.

"But yesterday," continued Mishima, "he called Suzui out of the blue. She didn't make any mistakes or anything… Kamoshida-sensei seemed really irritated, so it must've been… worse than usual…"

"That son of a bitch!" Ryuji snapped.

Without warning, Ryuji took off down the hall. And Chiyo had the sinking suspicion where he was going. She called his name and ran after him leaving Mishima alone. The boy simply watched. Balling up one hand, he followed after the pair.

Chiyo was certain she bumped into someone. But at the moment she couldn't bring herself to care. As much as Mishima's story angered her, as much as she hated Kamoshida at that moment, she was worried about Ryuji. She only knew him for three days, but Chiyo picked up quickly that he was not one for keeping his head level when angry. He may end up pissing off Kamoshida at this rate.

For better or worse, it did not take them long to find Kamoshida, he was working at his desk in the PE faculty office. How casual he presented himself only served to anger Chiyo further. The other teachers were trying to retain order, assure the students that there was nothing to worry about. Shouldn't Kamoshida make a token effort to care about what happened to someone on his volleyball team?

"You bastard!" Ryuji roared upon entering. "The hell did you do to that girl?!"

Kamoshida half-turned, wearing a look of contempt. "What are you talking about?"

Ryuji kicked a nearby folding chair off its legs and onto its side. "Don't play dumb with me!"

"That's enough!"

"What did you have Suzui come here for?" Chiyo asked, her volume controlled in comparison to Ryuji. But by the sudden deep tone she had taken, there was no mistaking her anger. "We heard she came in here yesterday. What for?"

"And why should I tell you?" Kamoshida asked. He carried a look of contempt that Chiyo couldn't help but read as condescending.

"You ordered me to call Suzui here!" Mishima cried, holding his head in his hands again. "I can only imagine what you did to her!"

"You're going on and on about things you have no proof of," Kamoshida said. He pushed himself away from his desk and stood up. "Basically, you're simply making these claims because you can't be a regular on the team, right? Even if it is exactly as you imagine it to be, hypothetically speaking… what can you do? We just received a call from the hospital. Suzui's in a coma, and her chances of recovery are slim… How would someone like that make a statement?"

Oh, Chiyo wished those castration rumors surrounding her were remotely true at that moment. But she didn't know anything about even cutting off a finger, let alone someone's penis. On the other hand, would being precise about it matter right now?

"There's no chance of her getting better, I hear," Kamoshida continued. "The poor girl."

Chiyo could see Ryuji trembling, just barely restraining himself from turning violent. "You goddamn…"

"This again? Does this mean we need to have yet another case of 'self-defense?'"

"Shut your mouth, you son of a bitch!" Like lightning, Ryuji brought his fist back, gearing for the attack. A smug grin played upon Kamoshida's lips as he simply watched the scene play out. It was like a card game, you need to know when to fold them, and when to play. Luckily Kamoshida had become quite the card shark when his opponents were the students.

"Ryuji!"

Chiyo grabbed onto her friend by the forearm, preventing him from making contact with Kamoshida. The more stubborn part of Ryuji was ready to argue. After everything this… thing had done, Suzui, the volleyball team, the track team, one punch was the least he deserved. To hell with the consequences!

But Chiyo had a look in her eyes, not unlike the one she gave him when he awakened his Persona. Eyes contracted, her brow furrowed low. Added with the cool grey color of her eyes, Chiyo had never looked so cold. There was no mistaking it, Chiyo was just as enraged as Ryuji was. She just preferred tranquil fury.

"Oh? You're stopping him?" Kamoshida asked with the same tone of condescendence his Shadow-self possessed. "What a surprise. There's no need to hold back. Why not attack me? Oh… but you can't. Of course, you can't!"

There were several things Chiyo wanted to reply with. Several comebacks, taunts. But she held back, with all her willpower, she held back. As much as she hated it, it was the wisest move she had. Anything Chiyo specifically had to say would no doubt be twisted into a threat, an innuendo, something discriminating.

Kamoshida let out a 'tsk' before he went back to his desk. "Everyone present right now," he said taking a seat, "will be expelled. I'm reporting all of you at the next board meeting."

Chiyo went cold for a moment, Sojiro's multiple warnings smacked into her all at once. She could already hear the lecture he would give her if and when Kamoshida's threat came to pass. 'Not even a week in! You couldn't even manage that!'

"You can't make a decision like that!" Mishima argued, finding a bit of his courage.

"Who would seriously consider what scum like you say? You threatened me too, Mishima, so you're just as responsible."

But wasn't Mishima a good, decent student? Wouldn't a sudden expulsion for him raise a few eyebrows? No sooner had Chiyo considered the thought she hated herself for missing the obvious. It was Kamoshida they were dealing with. And from what Chiyo saw of him, Kobayakawa certainly came across as a professional ass-kisser. Whatever Kamoshida wants, Kamoshida gets.

"To think you didn't know why I kept someone as talentless as you on the team," Kamoshida scoffed. "You act like you're a victim, but you leaked Kusakabe-san's records, didn't you? It's all over the internet, correct?"

She could not stop the instant, 'Huh?' as she turned to look at the wide-eyed, trembling Mishima. Chiyo remembered his reaction when she approached him for directions on her first day. But Chiyo simply assumed he listened to the rumors… until she remembered Mishima's relieved expression when she asked him her question. Had Mishima assumed Chiyo realized he was the one behind the rumors?

And yesterday, there was a damp rag in Mishima's hand when Chiyo returned to class. She knew he'd likely cleaned her desk. Now she knew why.

"He told me to do it…" Mishima sunk to his knees. "I had no choice…"

"This conversation is done," Kamoshida said simply. "You're all expelled."

Chiyo could see Ryuji contemplating a possible comeback, physical or verbal. But she grasped onto his arm again and shook her head when he shot a glance at her. Chiyo knelt down, then grasped Mishima by the shoulder. He looked at her in the face, tears staining his cheeks, likely at his limit. Chiyo gestured with her head for him to stand up, then repeated the gesture for Ryuji, signaling him to move.

Bringing up the rear of the group proved to be Chiyo's mistake. Kamoshida grabbed her by the upper arm so abruptly Chiyo nearly lost her footing. She heard Ryuji start the beginning of a curse as Kamoshida closed the door shut before anything else could happen. He didn't let go of Chiyo's arm until he locked the door.

'Fuck, fuck, fuck, shit, fucking, fuck, shit, fuck!'

Despite, or because of, the sudden turn of events, what surprised, and arguably disturbed, Chiyo the most was the tone Kamoshida took when he spoke to her. "You really are something of an enigma, Kusakabe-san, you know that?" he asked, suddenly as pleasant and jovial as the day Chiyo met him. "I hear 'criminal record' and 'compensated dating' and you are… not what comes to mind."

Given how easily Chiyo could change character since arriving at Shujin she may not have had the right to complain. But how fast and how easily Kamoshida changed his character unnerved her. Not even five minutes ago he was gearing to expel her. And now he was like… this?

Kamoshida started to rub the back of his neck, an act that made the hair on the back of Chiyo's neck stand up on end. This was too casual for her liking. "I don't know why a girl like you is hanging around with the likes of Sakamoto and Mishima," he said at length. When the man stepped away from the door, Chiyo took a step back. He was the one who spread the rumors about her, he was telling Takamaki to stay away from her. Where the fuck was all this coming from?!

"What do you care?" Chiyo asked incredulously. "You're about to be rid of me, remember?"

Frustrated, Kamoshida held his head in his hand. "Didn't think I'd have to spell it out for you, you of all people." He reached out for Chiyo's arm again and brought her closer in though she actively fought against his grip. "Do you want to keep your future? Then give me something in return. Let's see if your reputation precedes you. I know how flexible you are."

Chiyo fought against Kamoshida's grip harder until he finally released her. The momentum forced her back against the wall. Her heart was pounding in her ears, and her skin was beginning to crawl. She could still feel his hand on her arm.

"I don't know what lies Sakamoto fed you," Kamoshida continued as though nothing happened, "but don't let anyone tell you I'm not an unreasonable man. You want to stay in school, then earn the right." He shrugged. "Heck, I'll be generous and save Sakamoto and Mishima's hides for you."

How stupid did Kamoshida think she was? At best, Chiyo brought herself to agree to this and Kamoshida would find a new way to get rid of all three of them. At worse, he would proceed to dangle the boy's academic futures in front of her for the year. Or just expel them anyway.

"I would think you're used to this sort of thing," said Kamoshida. "I'm hardly the first person who exchanged sex for goods with you. And with a bod like yours, works like yours, I get why you'd be into that sort of thing."

Chiyo could have punched him if she thought it would do anything outside of momentary satisfaction. She hated so much these days. Ryou for refusing to take her side. Eiichi for being more of a dad to his stepson than to his biological daughter. The man who tarnished her reputation in so many ways. The woman she tried to help for going along with the man. Sojiro for acting like he was so put upon when housing Chiyo was his choice in the end. Kamoshida for…so much. And it amazed her how intense her hate could get in just one day.

She must have shown something on her face, anger, disgust, revulsion, as Kamoshida let out an aggravated sigh. "You spend the last three days with Sakamoto and now you have standards?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "It's a basic fact of life, you can't get anything for nothing. You want on my volleyball team, you earn it. You want to stay in school, keep your probation, you earn it. If you don't want to take me up on my generous offer, whatever happens next is on you."

Generous offer? Yeah, live up to the rumors and claims surrounding her in exchange for her stay in school. Blackmail, sexual extortion, so generous.

Why was he even coming to her about this? It was pretty clear to Chiyo that he had his sights on Takamaki? No sooner had Chiyo thought about it, she realized how stupid it was. Takamaki wasn't putting out as he wanted. He was just using her to hold him over while he waited for Takamaki to 'relent' and 'give in.'

Chiyo's train of thought started to take off, one car passed by after another. She remembered the cognitive Takamaki in Kamoshida's palace. How she essentially wore nothing but a small bikini that left little to the imagination. In contrast, however, the real Takamaki rejected the real Kamoshida over the phone yesterday. Didn't… Didn't Mishima say Kamoshida asked to see Suzui yesterday? And Kamoshida called Takamaki yesterday, Suzui was Takamaki's friend so was he… Was she a means to…

Gasping, Chiyo slapped a hand over her mouth. Oh god…

She was cold with dread and hot with rage at the same time. What was going through Suzui's mind when she saw Kamoshida yesterday? When she went home last night? This morning? When she decided to go onto the roof? Was she afraid? Ashamed? Oh, god if she blamed herself for Kamoshida's actions… Chiyo just wanted to scream out for the poor girl who couldn't.

Trembling with rage, Chiyo lowered her hand from her mouth. "Did… Did Suzui have to 'earn' her spot on your team?" she asked, her voice sounded so hollow to her ears. "Did she get an 'offer' too?!"

She half-expected Kamoshida to just outright deny everything. In a way, maybe he was. He grinned in a self-congratulatory fashion. "She enjoyed it."

Chiyo's face began to heat up, her hands balled up at her sides, and began to tremble. That was it. She was done playing nice!

Whatever Ryuji decided for himself, and she would not blame him if the consequences were too much for him, Chiyo was going along with Morgana's plan. Whether Kamoshida lived or died… Chiyo didn't care anymore. Why should she give him the courtesy he wasn't giving Suzui? If Kamoshida could break someone, why couldn't Chiyo? If he wasn't going to feel guilty for what could be Suzui's death, why should Chiyo feel guilty for his?!

"I'd sooner fuck a hot iron rod!" hissed Chiyo. "I'll take that expulsion."

She shoved past him and made her way over to the door. "And Sakamoto and Mishima?" Kamoshida asked knowingly. "Will you let them take it?"

Chiyo froze, her hand hovering in front of the door lock. Fucking hell, fucking hell! How did he peg her like this? If it was just Chiyo on the line, this would be over and done with. No one else to worry about but her. But Ryuji and Mishima? Could she allow them to suffer a similar fate as her if she could do something about it?

No. Kamoshida would find another way to expel them no matter what she did – assuming Kamoshida would be true to his word. He would find a way to make this a no-win situation for them. Blindly playing into Kamoshida's hands was nothing but a foolish move.

"I'll give you time to think about it." Kamoshida's voice snapped Chiyo out of her revelry. "Just hope you make the right choice before I get tired of waiting."

"Go fuck yourself."

She unlocked the door and threw it open to find Ryuji and Mishima on the other side. Mishima gasped out her name, relieved to see her unharmed. Ryuji must have seen something in Chiyo's face to cause him concern. "Hey, what happened in there?!"

Remaining silent and ignoring Mishima's concerns, Chiyo took Ryuji by the arm and lead him somewhere they could speak privately. She realized too late that moving when her emotions were running so wild was a mistake. It quickly became difficult for her to breathe properly, she was gasping for breath by the time they made it to the courtyard. It took her a few minutes to realize she was crying despite how blurred her vision had become.

She lead Ryuji to the courtyard by the vending machines. As soon as Chiyo released his arm, her hands went up and under her frames in an attempt to dry her eyes. She vaguely noticed the ache in her upper right arm, the bastard's grip likely left a bruise.

Ryuji must have seen her tears, he definitely heard her erratic breathing. And to his credit, he approached Chiyo with caution. "Dude, what happened?" he asked gently. "C'mon, you can tell me…"

After she tried to dry her eyes again, Chiyo readjusted her glasses. "Ryuji…" she said between breaths, "if it's… still too much for you… I understand. But I'm going… with Morgana's plan… I don't care if that… thing lives or dies anymore."

"I'm not followin'..."

"Kamoshida didn't just beat on Suzui…" Chiyo pushed her bangs back and held her hands in place for a moment as she tried to catch her breath. "He raped her…"

Ryuji let out every curse he could recall and then some in such a flurry, it became little more than enraged gibberish. He repeated the process when Chiyo explained what happened to her when she was alone with Kamoshida. Including his ultimatum.

"I assume you've made up your minds then?"

On the table sat Morgana. Though she wondered how he passed the staff and students, Chiyo did not put it past Morgana to have followed them down here. "I have," said Chiyo, "I'm doing it."

"So have I," added Ryuji. "We're not dealing with just physical abuse! He just tried to blackmail Chiyo. He raped that girl! She could die because of him! I don't give a rat's ass what happens to that shitbag!"

"He's punished either way." Chiyo removed her glasses, making sure her eyes were truly dried. Then she used the hem of her turtleneck to clean the lenses.

Morgana purred, "Then it's settled."

"So, uh… is gettin' rid of a Palace hard?" inquired Ryuji. "You've tried it before, right?

"When did I ever say that?"

"Well, you do talk a big game." Chiyo put her glasses back on and slumped her shoulders. "And apparently that's all it is…"

Ryuji's eyes rolled skyward, exasperated. "Oh, that's just fuckin' wonderful!"

"Is it true that you're getting expelled?"

Chiyo whipped around to find Takamaki, red-eyed, and miserable. "Takamaki?" Chiyo gasped. "I-I thought you'd be with Suzui…" She regretted saying it as soon as it came out of her mouth.

"Her parents and family all rushed to the hospital. I didn't want to impose, so one of her relatives drove me back," Takamaki explained. "Enough about me, everyone's talking about your expulsion."

"That asshole's at it again," hissed Ryuji. "So you came all this way to tell us that?"

"If you're going to deal with Kamoshida," Ann began finding the conviction to speak, "let me in on it too. I can't just sit back and do nothing after what happened to Shiho!"

It wasn't as though Chiyo didn't think Takamaki had a right to this. She had every right. But could Takamaki even go to that other world? And that was ignoring how Takamaki would react to the cognitive Takamaki. "This has nothing to do with you," Ryuji said without tact. "Don't butt your nose into this…"

"What Ryuji means is," Chiyo said quickly before Takamaki could respond. "Is that you probably don't want to get caught up in this method. It's… rather unorthodox."

Takamaki stared at her for several agonizingly slow seconds. She didn't say anything but furrowed her brow. Scrunching up her face, she took off running. "Goddamnit," murmured Chiyo.

"I know." Ryuji rubbed his temples with one hand. "But we can't take her somewhere like that. You saw that other her in that Palace thingy."

"I just hope she doesn't torment herself over this," Morgana murmured.

"We just gotta hurry up and deal with Kamoshida."

They waited until school was let out properly for the day. Ryuji showed Chiyo a safe place to hide their bags in the alley while they worked, though Morgana insisted they each carry whatever food they had on them. In the alley across the road from the school, they had a clear view of the entrance, and would likely have a clear view of the Palace's entrance.

"The moment we cross over, we'll treat each other like phantom thieves," Morgana prepped them. "So I hope you're ready."

Ryuji glanced down at the cat with a raised brow. "Phantom thieves?"

"Those who covertly sneak in and stylishly steal Treasure – that is what we become!"

Chiyo's head list to the left as she thought about it. In all technicality that was what they were doing. Being a lady thief… the dumb middle-schooler in her was drawn into the romantic notion of it all. "Not bad…"

"Yeah." Ryuji rotated his arm. "That sounds kinda cool! So we just gotta say the school, Kamoshida's name, and… castle? Then we end up in the bizarre world." He pulled out his phone and stared at the app. "How the hell's all this work, anyway? Someone had to make this thing, right?"

"You'd… think so…" Chiyo's voice trailed off. Maybe she should try to explain to the two what she experienced a couple of nights instead of dreams? The Velvet Room, Igor, and Henry. How much could she explain without coming across like a loony or raising more questions than answers? Fuck, Chiyo didn't even understand it herself, never mind explaining anything about it.

"It's kind of creepy when you think about it, but eh, it seems useful enough."

"We can worry about it after dealing with Kamoshida," said Chiyo.

Ann was within earshot of Sakamoto and Kusakabe and… a cat? A black and white cat. Wasn't that the same cat the teachers were searching for? And… were they talking to it?

On the opposite end of the alley, she could see them clearly, though she could only hear bits and pieces of what they were saying. The only thing Ann could make out was Kusakabe saying that they could worry about something after Kamoshida.

So, they really were going to do something. But what were they doing with their phone? "Whoa!" Ann braced her hand against the wall, a sudden dizzy spell overwhelmed her.

The changes were so instantaneous, Chiyo hardly noticed the flames consuming her person any longer. What she did notice was the flames consuming Morgana's person, changing him to his cartoonish, bipedal form. He leaped onto a flowerbed, likely so he could look Ryuji and Chiyo in the eye. "All right!" Ryuji wore a broad grin as he rotated his shoulder. "Time to bust on through!"

"What is this?!"

The trio whirled around to find a wide-eyed, ghost white, frightened Takamaki. Her blue eyes traveled from her schoolmates to the castle and back. Her face carried several dozen questions and she wasn't sure if she wanted answers.

"T-Takamaki?!" Ryuji chocked out.

"Sakamoto?!" Takamaki echoed. Her eyes fell upon Chiyo and studied her for a moment. "Kusakabe-san?!"

"How did you get here?!" Chiyo asked, her voice raising an octave.

"How should I know?!" Her hands gestured at the castle, then at Chiyo and Ryuji. "Isn't this where the school is?! A-And what's with the getups?!"

"I see," Morgana said calmly. "Perhaps she was dragged in because of that app thing. If multiple people can enter with the person who uses it, it stands to reason it'll pull in anyone nearby."

"For real?" Ryuji asked weakly.

Chiyo tilted her head back briefly. "Thinking about it, that is kinda what happened with us," she said. "It started on my phone, and must have pulled you in with me."

Calming down, Takamaki stopped scanning the area. "Wait, so all this here is related to Kamoshida?!"

"You gotta leave!" Ryuji said, gesturing to Takamaki.

"No way!"

"Takamaki-san, trust me on this, you do not want to see what's in there," Chiyo said with her hands up. All she could think about was the cognitive Takamaki inside the castle.

Morgana swayed uncomfortably. "The Shadows are going to find us if you make a scene…"

Takamaki flinched as though she just crossed paths with a large, ugly spider. "No way!" she shrieked, pointing at Morgana. "It talked?! Oh my god, it's a monster cat!"

Morgana's eyes contracted into tiny blue dots. "M-Monster…?"

"You better explain what's going on! I won't leave until you do!"

Ryuji leaned to the side, whispering to Chiyo and Morgana. "Looks like we gotta force her." Chiyo nodded. "But… how're we supposed to do that?"

"You take her arms, I'll take her legs," whispered Chiyo.

"That's not what I meant!"

"Try taking her back to where we came in," Morgana instructed in hushed tones. "That's how it worked last time, right?"

Chiyo threw a look at Ryuji, who simply shrugged in response. They were going to have quite a bit of explaining for Takamaki when this was over. And one gigantic apology for what they were about to do.

They ended up going with Chiyo's plan, Ryuji grabbed a hold of Takami's upper body. Her flailing limbs made it easier for Chiyo to take hold of her by the knees. Takamaki ended up ramming her head into Ryuji's nose, not really helped by his mask. And her heels kept beating into Chiyo's collarbone.

Upon bringing Takamaki to the alley, Chiyo lowered her knees, and Ryuji proceeded to shove Takamaki in. "We better be careful from now on when we use that app," Ryuji said breathlessly.

"You should've checked the tools you used!" Morgana snipped on the way to the drawbridge. "Why do I – the one who was just watching – know more about it than you two?!"

Chiyo crossed her arms. "I don't recall you saying anything before we fired it up."

Morgana's tail started to bristle. "Th-That girl's name is Ann Takamaki, right?" he asked, changing the subject. He started purring while his tail swayed happily. "Lady Ann~"

"Oh, brother," sighed Chiyo. "Don't we have a job to do?"

Morgana's tail bristled again. "Quite-Quite right, Joker."

"Joker?"

"What's with the nickname?" inquired Ryuji.

"Don't refer to it in such a lame way!" Morgana chided irritably. "It's a codename. What kind of stupid phantom thief would use their real name?! I'm not down for that! And there's no telling what kind of effect yelling our real names will have on the Palace. It's just a precaution."

"So, why's she, Joker?"

"Because she's our trump card when it comes to fighting strength."

"Joker…" Chiyo rubbed the back of her neck as she list her head. "I guess it could be worse."

"It's settled then!" Crossing his arms, Morgana eyed Ryuji. "Next up is you. You'll be… Let's see… 'Thug.'"

"Are you pickin' a fight with me?! I'll choose it myself!" Ryuji placed his hands on his hips in thought. "When it comes to me, it's gotta be this mask. Honestly, I actually kinda like it. What if we named me after this?"

Chiyo started to clap her hands while bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Then you gotta be 'Skull!'"

She could see Ryuji's eyes light up like a kid in a candy store despite the mask. "Ooh! That sounds awesome! I'm Skull!" He gestured his head towards Morgana. "What do we do about this one's codename?"

"'Kyle?'" Chiyo suggested, her accent rolling on the 'L.'

Morgana blanched. "Sounds so… common."

"How 'bout 'Mona?'" Ryuji offered.

The cat-like creature held his head in one paw as he thought. "It's better, I certainly never heard it before." Morgana paused for a good three seconds before he nodded in approval. "All right. From here on out, we're Joker, Skull, and Mona. We need to be absolutely thorough about using those codenames from now on!

"Are we ready?" He held one paw at his belt, his other paw pointed towards their entrance point. "No mourners!"

Brow twitching behind her mask, Chiyo tossed a confused glance at Ryuji, who looked just as lost as she did. "This is where you answer with 'No funerals,'" Morgana said under his breath, holding his pose.

"Why?" Ryuji asked simply.

"It's our way of saying good luck. We're phantom thieves, so we shouldn't expect any fancy or fond funerals at death."

"That's a little morbid," mutter Chiyo.

"It's another aspect of memento mori! It's a fact of life!"

Skull was the first to climb up through the vent, Mona held onto Joker's coattails as Skull helped her in. They climbed out safely on the other side and headed down the hall towards the foyer. However, they came to an abrupt halt at the doorway.

"Praise be to King Kamoshida! Death to the intruders!"

A contingent of the black-armored soldier's filled the foyer. At the head of the stairs, within perfect view of his own painting, Kamoshida stood. He glowered over, his hands braced against the banister at either side of him. His piercing eyes carried a sickly playful gleam. "Those intruders the other day were quite entertaining," he declared. "However I can't allow that trash to ransack my castle! Kill them on sight! I'll reward whoever brings me their heads!"

The soldiers cheered, further stroking their king's ego.

The newly formed phantom thieves hid on either side of the doorway, just out of sight of the soldiers, but still able to catch glimpses of the scene. Joker bit her lower lip, the sheer number of guards in one made her uneasy. She supposed if they were smart about it, they could find the Treasure with little conflict. "Hey, Mona," Skull asked in a hushed tone. "Can't we just beat the crap outta Kamoshida and call it a day?"

"Look at all those soldiers, idiot!" hissed Mona. "It'd be suicide. And I'm sure you don't want a repeat of last time. Besides, don't you want him to confess his sins? There's no point in just beating him up. We need to steal his materialized desires… the Treasure."

"Okay, that much I get," said Joker, "but how do we find the Treasure?"

"I'd venture it's somewhere in the depths of this castle. We'll infiltrate further in while he's out here."

Turning back around, Joker heard Skull mutter something about backtracking under his breath. Back at the door across the hall, Joker pulled it open. Her heart leaped into her throat at the sight of one of the guards. Skull grabbed Joker by the arm and pulled her out of sight before the guard could pace back around. "Goddamnit, it can't be that easy, can it?" muttered Skull. "Whaddya wanna do? Beat the crap outta it?"

Joker readied her ribbon. "We don't have much of a choice."

She stepped out from their hiding spot and performed a series of cartwheels that morphed into a series of flips. When she was close enough to the guard, she balled herself up and used her core to give her momentum. Once on the Shadow's shoulders, Joker dug her fingers under their mask and yanked it off. Convulsing, the guard morphed into one of the blue-clad fairies.

Skull was the first to go into the attack. He bashed the fairy on the side of the head with his rod. Soon after, Mona and Joker followed up with a strike from their weapons. The onslaught of attack after attack sent the fairy pirouetting several times before she dropped to the floor. Holding herself up with her arm, she shook her head and scrutinized the trio before her.

"Seriously?!" the fairy shouted in a high-pitched voice. "You guys are the intruder's King Kamoshida was talking about?"

"The fuck?!" Skull gasped. "Shadows talk?! Since when?!"

"Now, apparently," snarked Joker.

"Well, Shadows are beings born from people's hearts," said Mona, "so it's not outside the realm of possibility. We just gotta take it out like every other Shadow so far."

The enraged fairy shrieked, letting out a sound that belonged to a chipmunk on helium. She pounded her small fists against the floor like a child throwing a tantrum. "It can't get any worse than this! What're you going to do with me?!"

"You can help us," Joker suggested instantly. "Why fight for someone who doesn't care if you live or die?"

"Help you?"

"Why exactly are you fighting for Kamoshida? I doubt he'd mourn if we killed you now."

The fairy looked down at her hands for a moment. "You're right…" she said under her breath. She started to sway in place. "Whoa… I feel… different…"

"Wait, talking to it actually works?!" gasped Mona.

"Yes! I remember now! I don't belong just to King Kamoshida… I am an existence that drifts about the sea of humanity's souls…" Her wings started to flutter, lifting her off the floor as she held her hands to her chest below her chin. "My real name is Pixie! Thank you for reminding me of that… From now on, I'll live on inside your heart!"

A gentle blue glow surrounded her person, when it died down a domino mask, not unlike Joker's, took her place. The mask flew towards Joker, fusing with her preexisting mask. Her head tilted back slightly, her hand fluttered to her mask, a brief moment of exhilaration rushed through her.

"What… the… hell was that?!" Skull demanded, recoiling in surprise. "Did Joker just… absorb the enemy… or… I don't know?!"

"I don't know!" Mona started flailing his arms wildly. "I don't know!"

"You don't know?! Ain't you the one boastin' about how much you know about all this?!"

"I had no idea! I wasn't expecting that any more than you-"

"Intruders?! Halt!"

Another guard stood in the doorway, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Joker did not doubt for a second that it found them thanks to Skull and Mona's yelling.

"Okay, time to cut the crap." Joker sunk into a defensive stance with her ribbon at the ready. "We got more trouble on our hands."

The guard convulsed, miasma spilled out, and took shape into a couple of demon horses. Skull immediately removed his mask, summoning Captain Kidd. Extending its cannon arm, Kidd released a Zio on one of the demon horses, dissolving it into darkness. As though nothing happened, the remaining horse lowered its head, gearing for the next attack. It lunged at Mona, sending him flying back several meters.

"Mona!" gasped Joker.

Her hand reached up for her mask without thinking. She wasn't sure why, however, Arsene could not do much damage to the demon horse. But something, something high-pitched and kind of whiny, was telling her to take off her mask. 'Will you just take it off already?!'

Joker removed her mask, but instead of Arsene, Pixie took its place. "No way!" shouted Mona. "Isn't that the same Shadow from earlier?! Did… Did you take in the Shadow's appearance and powers as a Persona?!"

Ignoring Mona's shock and questions, Pixie extended her arms. A second Zio blasted the demon horse off its hooves. It shook his head before it looked back up at Joker. "Hey now, let's not be rash!" it said. Its voice was deep enough to rearrange the trio's internal organs.

Joker offered her hand to the beast. "Kamoshida only uses you for his own ends," she said, her mouth running faster than her thoughts. "You die here, he won't care. Work with me and we can have a proper partnership."

"Those are some pretty big words," said the horse. "Then I guess I'll do the talking next. I'll decide if I'm gonna help you after. Look here, girlie, I… uh… I've got this girl waitin' fer me. You know what I'm gettin' at, right. You think you could let me-"

"Y'know, somehow, I don't believe you," Joker said plainly.

"If I don't make it back, she's gonna cry. And then, she'll kill herself, that'll be all on you. Adults can sorta do what they want, but they also gotta take responsibility fer what they do. Don't take this the wrong way, but man… Bein' a carefree kid sure must be nice."

"Oh, cut the crap!" Joker snapped spitefully. "Point me in the direction of an adult who actually practices what they preach and takes responsibility themselves when they've done wrong. Then we'll talk."

The horse's head shook as it chuckled. "Well, can't deny there's a lotta truth to that, girlie. A lotta adults either throw each other under the bus, are full-blown hypocrites, or both. Take it that ain't the type of adult you want to be."

"Nope."

"I like the way you think," said the horse. It paused for a moment before it slowly rose to its hooves. "I can't believe it… I remember now…" He reared back on its hind legs. "I'm no Shadow from this place. I used to be livin' in that there sea of human souls! From now on, call me Bicorn! No need fer honorifics, girlie."

Its body began to glimmer softly, taking on the shape of Joker's mask, and flying to the real thing. "What the…" Joker murmured.

"Holy crap… Holy crap, holy crap!" Mona started pacing on all fours. "Does this mean Joker can wield multiple Personas?!"

"Is that even possible?!" questioned Skull.

"I don't know! I've never seen anyone do that before!"

"Wasn't all this yelling what lured in the last Shadow?" Joker asked nonchalantly. "Besides, isn't wielding multiple Persona's a good thing?"

Mona stopped pacing, his tail stiffened. "Of course it is! Only one heart exists per person, so normally a person can only have one Persona! But this…" He gestured to Joker's person. "This is incredible! This ability will give us a huge advantage in battle!"

"Hell yeah!" Skull pumped his fist excitedly. "We'll mow right through 'em at this rate!"

Joker chewed on her lower lip. So they were just going to accept this new ability without question? Though Joker suddenly had her suspicions, and it all went back to that blue jailhouse and the master of the realm.

Mona began to rub his front paw's together, cackling in such a way that would have made the Wicked Witch of the West proud. "I'm liking you more and more! I really do have someone special on my hands!"

"I know you fancy us as dashing phantom thieves," Joker murmured, "but right now you look more like a supervillain…"

The cat-creature dropped the wicked grin, then shuttered. "Uh… y-yes, you're right," he said while he cleared his throat. "Anyway, we should move on before Skull draw's in anymore Shadows."

"Hey!" Skull snapped. "You were yellin' just as much as I was!"

The nerve of those two! Manhandling her, and leaving her out of a plot she had every right to be part of! Sure from Sakamoto, it didn't surprise her, but Kusakabe did not seem like the type.

Ann's thoughts calmed when she approached the drawbridge of the castle. After being left behind by Sakamoto and Kusakabe, she found herself in the alley in front of the school. But when she checked her phone, she found an app she had no memory of downloading.

It was only on a gut feeling that Ann opened it to find a navigation layout she never saw before. Repeating the words she overheard Sakamoto say, Ann nearly fell over from a sense of vertigo. The sensation gone, Ann noticed the color of the sky, a red- magenta color.

"That app…?" she said out loud to herself. She looked down at her phone, no service, and nothing else, like the camera, would work. "Seriously…"

"Princess?!"

Ann looked up to find a trio of armored men with blue-green skin. Her heart raced as the trio approached her with a running start. She yelled out when two of them grabbed her by the arm each.

Again?!

Their travels took them through a sort of dining hall for the guards. And they came out finding a new safe room beyond it. Along the way, Joker's little collection of new Persona grew with the inclusion of Pyro Jack and Mandrake. The way Mona reacted with each new Persona left Joker wondering if he would ever tire of it. After the third Persona, the excitement of the revelation was beginning to wear off for her and Skull.

After regrouping the safe room they tried the door just down the hall from it, only to find it locked. Mona suggested they try backtracking, with any luck the foyer was open and they could either find the key or find another way around.

"Aren't there even more Shadows here than before?" Skull asked as they continued their trek back through the dining hall. "Just gettin' this far's been a real pain in the ass!"

"It's probably because we provoked Kamoshida," suggested Joker. "And because I rejected him…"

"Still…" Mona said thoughtfully, "he seems to be awfully on guard…"

Did Joker dare hope it meant the real Kamoshida was more concerned about Suzui pulling through than he let on? He sounded pretty confident that the odds were against her, but 'what-ifs' were pretty tricky. They could keep a person up at night.

"Anyways," Skull changed the subject, "how're we supposed to steal that Treasure thing?"

"Don't be so hasty," Mona chided. "First, we need to secure an infiltration route."

"A what?"

"We need a safe route to the Treasure," translated Joker. "Even if we find it today, stealing it now may not be the wisest idea because we'll have wasted so much energy getting to it."

"Exactly." Mona nodded approvingly. His ears soon plastered against his head. "But, honestly, I think we'll need a little more manpower to accomplish this mission. At the very least, one more person would be nice…"

"Hold on a sec." Skull pulled to a stop at the hall's doorway. He crossed his arms over his chest and eyed Mona. "You say you don't have your memories and all, but somehow you still know about this kinda stuff?"

Oh, that was a good observation from Skull. Joker never considered it. It was odd that Mona knew all this, yet had no other memory. Which begged the question of how Mona knew all this to begin with. He couldn't know it all just because.

"It is kind of suspicious." Joker crossed her arms.

"Hey, crazy as it sounds," Mona began, "I don't get it any more than either of you. While my knowledge of this place helped me survive, but it's far from the memory I want to have."

They could hear some muffling and metallic creaking. Joker held her hand up silencing Skull and Mona then pressed her ear against the door.

"Still, why was the princess in such an odd place? I could have sworn we were pursuing the readings of an intruder."

"It doesn't matter now. We must take her back to King Kamoshida!"

"Fuck…" Joker hissed. She glanced over her shoulder at the boys. "We should have checked Takamaki's phone before leaving her."

"Wait, you mean Lady Ann came back here?!" asked Mona.

"That's what it sounds like."

"Damn it, she must've overheard us before we took off," muttered Skull. "Goddamnit! We left her out for her own safety, and she just came back in by herself…!"

"The Shadow's must've mistaken her for that cognition…" Joker bit the bed of her thumb. God, she hoped Takamaki didn't come face to face with her.

They went down the hall they originally came from, only to find a second corridor, previously blocked off was open. Mona sprinted down the corridor, straight for the set of black double doors. On either side of the hall were suits of black armor, that kind of creeped out Joker the more she looked at them. Maybe she was too used to seeing armor move here. How sad was it if that was the case?

Ann struggled against her restraints as soon as the guards strapped her onto a St. Andrew's cross. "What's all this about?!" she shouted at the guards. "Seriously, I'm gonna call the cops!"

"So, this is the intruder…"

Ann looked up to find Kamoshida wearing little else than a fluffy cape and a pink Speedo. "Kamoshida?!"

The surprises continued to pile on as a girl wearing nothing but a bikini walked up to Kamoshida. She wore her hair exactly like Ann's, even the color was spot on. Takamaki paled noticing more than just the similarities in the hair, but also the face. "What the…?" She shook her head in an attempt to get her priorities straight. "What is this place?! Why's the school turned into something like this?!"

Scoffing, Kamoshida gestured to Ann. "I can't believe you mistook my Ann for someone like her."

"God, what's with that outfit?" Ann questioned blanching slightly. "So gaudy…"

"I do as I please here," Kamoshida explained half-heartedly. "After all, this is my castle… The world of my desires."

"Wait, what?! Is this some red-light district?! This isn't funny!" Ann pulled at her restraints. "Enough of the bullshit, Kamoshida!"

Kamoshia turned to the cognitive Ann with curled lips. "The girl's decided to tell me off. What do you think of that?"

The cognitive Ann swayed side to side lazily. "Talking back is, like… totally unforgivable… The last intruder who talked back has, like, become a total problem."

Ann's jaw fell open. Her clone mimicked her voice perfectly, though the inflections made her sound like a complete airhead. "That she has," Kamoshida said, turning back to Ann. "In that case… she should be executed." Two black guards and one of his golden guards surrounded Ann. His grin grew, wicked, and borderline orgasmic. "Now then, how should I play with you? Shall I tear you into little pieces?"

She could have slouched if the cross wasn't keeping her up. What sort of crazy roleplay did she stumble onto?

Joker blanched when she, Skull, and Mona opened the door. The room looked like it was modeled after a love hotel. Or at least, in Joker's mind, that's what it looked like. Red walls, red carpeting, even red drapes. A portrait of the Shadow Kamoshida hung at the back of the room behind Ann.

The sight of Ann strapped to the St. Andrew's cross would have been bothersome as it was… were it not for the half-naked female slaves around the room making things worse than they already were. Fondling their breast, swaying and breathing as though pleasuring themselves. Joker was willing to bet everything she had that the girls were supposed to be students.

"God, this is fucked up," uttered Skull. "Is this what he thinks of the girls on the volleyball team?!"

"Has to." Joker held a hand over her mouth. Suddenly she was concerned that Suzui wasn't the only student Kamoshida had his way with. "They wouldn't be like this otherwise."

"Hey! Over here!" Ann shouted. "What's the deal with this guy?!"

Kamoshida half-turned to find the trio of phantom thieves. "How many times are you gonna come back?" Kamoshida growled. He glowered back at Ann, lips pulled back into a smile. "I bet you're just like those thieves. You came because you're pissed at me, huh? But, ah…." his eyes rolled to the side in forced exasperation, "I forget that chick's name, but it's your fault she jumped, you know."

Ann's brow furrowed. "Huh…?"

"You were so reluctant to throw yourself onto me that I had her take your place."

"She already told me what you did, bastard!"

The golden guard pointed its sword at her. Skull tried to break forward before either Joker or Mona could react. Seeing Skull so much as twitch, the other two guards crossed their blades over Ann's neck. "Take one more step and I'll kill her on the spot," Kamoshida warned. "Just sit back and enjoy the dismantlement show."

"Goddamnit!" cursed Skull.

"Maybe I'll start with her clothes…"

"You're such a perv!" the cognitive Ann giggled.

Ann's head fell as the soldiers approached her. Perhaps this was her punishment for what happened to Shiho. The more she thought back to Kamoshida's phone call last night, the more she was certain that was what cause the chain of events leading to Shiho's jump. If she just gave Kamoshida what he wanted, he wouldn't have targeted Shiho.

"Have you finally realized?" Kamoshida asked, reading Ann's expression as she allowed herself to hang. The St Andrews cross was the only thing keeping her up at this point. "You should've looked like this from the start."

"Shiho…" Ann sobbed, allowing herself to wallow in despair and self-pity. "I'm so sorry…"

"Takamaki-san!" Joker shouted, her sudden outburst caused Ann to look up at her. She pointed straight at the Shadow Kamoshida with a dark look in her eye. "The only one responsible for what happened was that thing for putting the two of you in that situation, to begin with! He may as well have pushed her off himself! Don't let this shitbag try to convince you otherwise!"

Ann stared at Joker, her face still wet with tears. Right… Kamoshida was the one who called Shiho over. Kamoshida was the one who forced himself on her. He was the one who couldn't take the hint. He was the one abusing his position, his history, his students. "You're right…" she said. Glowering at Kamoshida, she balled up her hands. "Letting this piece of shit toy with me… What was I thinking?!"

"It's like I always say," Kamoshida said, turning towards Ann, "slaves should just behave and-"

"Shut. Up!"

An abrupt silence fell upon everyone in the room. Besides the cognitive Ann who was singing a wordless song under her breath while fiddling with her hair. "I've had enough of this," the real Ann growled, staring daggers at Kamoshida. "You've pissed me off, you son of a bitch!"

"My… It's taken far too long."

Ann threw her head back, a sudden, overwhelming pain erupting from the very center of her head. She started to thrust her pelvis in an attempt to free herself and ease her pain.

"Tell me… Who is 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…"

The pain subsided leaving Ann lightheaded as she momentarily slumped over. Catching her breath she could feel the sweat and tears running down her face. "I hear you… Carmen. You're right." She lifted her head, a red feline mask appearing on her face. "No more holding back!"

"There you go," Carmen continued, giving Ann the ability to free herself of her restraints. "Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself. Understand? Then I'll gladly lend you my strength."

Pulling herself free, Ann stepped away from the cross. Her hand reached up for the pointed ear on her mask. Crying out, Ann yanked it off with one good pull. A flash of blue erupted, the first thing visible was a tall being, human-like in appearance. Her pink skin was immediately noticeable amongst her red and black clothing. A black and pink leopard mask covered the upper half of her head, while two corkscrew pigtails trailed in the back of her head. Her top revealed the pink skin of her bosom. Her red and black skirt resembled that of a flamenco dancer's, lard red roses circled around her waist. She stood on the back of a creature with a heart-shaped head, dressed in a black suit, while she held on a vine connected to a similar creature.

Ann now wore a tight, red latex suit that revealed a bit of her cleavage. She had on a pair of red thigh-high boots and a pair of pink gloves. A tail was clipped to her backside, fitting with her feline mask. A red whip was coiled at her hip, held there by a metal clip.

Without warning, Ann sprinted towards the nearest guard and kicked its sword out of its hand. Catching it in mid-air, she brought it down on her cognitive self, which disappeared into darkness before she hit the ground. Cowering, Kamoshida backed up until he hit the wall. Obediently, his captain stood in front of him, weapons at the ready. "You know what?!" Ann threw the sword to the floor, turning to face Kamoshida. "I'm not some cheap girl you can toy with, you scumbag!"

"Bitch!"

"You stole everything from Shiho! You destroyed her! Now it's your turn!" She pointed a gloved finger straight at Kamoshida. "I will rob you of everything!"

"How dare you!" shouted the Guard Captain. "Enough of your insolence!"

It, and its two lesser fellows, convulsed, transforming into a blue-grey devil. Who was sitting on a toilet... "No," Ann growled, "I've had enough of you!"

"How dare you deny King Kamoshida's love, you selfish lass?!" the guard captain shouted. "Pay for this insolence with your life!"

Ann scoffed as Joker, Skull, and Mona gathered around her. "That dirtbag just sees women as sexual outlets! Don't make me laugh with that 'love' bullshit! C'mon, Carmen! Let's give 'em hell!"

Carmen took hold of her skirt and flounce it to the side. A burst of flame appeared in front of the guard captain. The fire grew, knocking the guard back. With her job done, for the time being, Carmen disappeared and the red feline mask appeared back on Ann's face "Don't hog all the fun for yourself," Joker said, reaching for her mask. "Pyro Jack!"

The purple-cloaked Jack o' lantern appeared at Joker's side. He mimicked Carmen's Agi attack. Skull fired off his pistol several times before Mona slashed the demon with his sword. Ann removed her mask, summoning Carmen a second time. After a third Agi attack. "Okay," Mona shouted as the captain fell. "All at once for an All-Out Attack!"

Obediently, the three high school students took out their weapons. No one envied the guard captain as he was overwhelmed in a flurry of knives, swords, pipes, and whips. When they finished the attack, Ann landed gracefully, twirled around once, before she gave a cheeky wink and flashed a peace sign, just as the Shadow started spurting miasma.

As the Shadow disappeared, Ann backed up on unsteady feet. Heaving she bent over double, her hands braced against her knees. Criminy, she felt like she was going to pass out at any second.

"Oh, shit…!" Kamoshida cursed, backing up slightly. He finally decided to cut his losses and sprinted for the nearest door.

Ann reached out for his retreating form, willing the coward to hold still so she could further kick his ass. "Wait!" she called, falling to her knees.

"Easy!" Joker gasped, suddenly at Ann's side.

"Why'd you come here, man?!" Skull asked, getting straight to the point.

"Hey!" Mona snapped, glaring at Skull. "Is that how you speak to a woman?!" He turned back to Ann, asking in a far gentler tone, "Are you all right, Lady Ann?!"

Joker rolled her eyes. "Oh, brother…"

Ann eyed Mona wearily. "Lady Ann?" she asked incredulously. She shook her head, realizing what she was saying. "Hold on! What is this thing? Is it alive… How can it even talk?! And-And where n the world are we?!"

"That's…. quite a bit to explain," Joker said, rubbing the back of her neck. "And I don't think here's the place to explain it all."

"And why not?" Ann said, getting back up on her feet. "Last time you were that dodgy with me I-" She looked down at herself, studying her dominatrix suit. Her instant reaction was to try and cover her cleavage. "Why am I dressed like this?! When did I-"

"I mean… it looks good on you," Skull muttered, avoiding eye contact with her.

"Seriously?!" Ann snapped. "What the hell are you thinking?!"

"Well, I'm stumped," murmured Mona. "Joker had the right idea earlier though. We should retreat for now!"

"Joker?" questioned Ann.

The girl in question waved her hand awkwardly. "Hi."

Authors Note: The title of this chapter comes from 'L'amour est un oiseau rebelle' or the Habanera aria, from Carmen. You've heard it before.

The first half of this chapter was hard to write. I really, really didn't want to fall into the trap of making a (female) character's rape all about everyone but the character who was raped. It's bad enough that Shiho had to go through it in the first place just to give Akiren and Ryuji the last push needed to commit to Morgana's plan. It felt like a balancing act, especially with Kamoshida making the proposition to Chiyo.

I tried to counter this by giving her a 'my thing doesn't matter' mentality. I wouldn't say its particularly healthy (for Chiyo or Ann), especially given she's also been pretty much accused of prostitution. And her moments of sexual harassment. I know from my own experience that it's not exactly helpful to downplay your problems. It took me well over year to admit that I was depressed during a trying period despite not being chronically depressed.

I hate myself for not originally adding the Six of Crows reference of "No mourners. No funerals." I fail as a fan. (And I only really remembered this time around because of the Shadow and Bone Netflix posters and promotional images) I'd originally intended for Chiyo to make it, but at the last minute I realized two things. First, while not full-blown chuunibyou, Morgana's probably the most chuuni of the gang at this point, so I wouldn't put it past him to make their little good luck motto cool. The second is the realization that, even within Six of Crows, "No mourners. No funerals." has a feel of memento mori to it. So it works out.