Persona 5: The Phantom Files

by sithlorde1988

Will cover the events of both Persona 5 Royal AND Persona 5 Scramble/Strikers. What happens when in addition to Ren being sentenced to go live in the care of Sojiro Sakura for a year after being sued for assualt, his younger brother is also ordered to go and oversee him? How will this extra character change things? Read to find out! More info in chapter 1! Read and review! Enjoy!

7. Takamaki's Stand! Phantoms Awaken part 7

A/N: sithlorde1988 here with another chapter of Persona 5: The Amamiya Files! Hard to believe we're already up to Chapter 7, but here we are! At the current pace, we should finally be past the first Palace within the next hopefully two to three chapters if not sooner so yeah. Per usual, I do not own the Persona series in any way shape or form (aside from the OC Kusa which I created thus I do own him as a result) and the credit for said ownership belongs to Atlus, Sega, and to some extent Koei Tecmo! That disclaimer aside, on with chapter 7!

Chapter 7: Takamaki's Awakening plus Palace Infiltrating! Phantoms Awaken part 7

(Kamoshida's Palace, safe room, with Mona, Joker, Skull and Draconis, neutral POV)

"Let's hurry and save Takamaki! She could be a useful ally to have!" Mona said insistently, getting nods of agreement from Skull, Joker and Draconis as the group left the Safe Room to try and track down Takamaki. As the group made to leave the Safe Room, Mona spoke up again to get the others' attention.

"Follow me! I'll guide you! She's just past that dining room-looking place! Let's go!" Mona said as Joker, Skull and Draconis nodded their agreement and followed Mona. On their way through the dining room, they were jumped by a trio of Pixies, which they quickly mopped up in short order. After a bit of running, they saw that the barred-off area they'd gone past before was now unbarred, but before they could make note of this, a very familiar voice could be heard audibly gasping making Mona speak up.

"This way!" Mona said as Joker, Skull and Draconis nodded as they spoke up. As they headed down the now-open hallway, the group heard a familiar voice speak up.

"Look, I'll apologize for touching the armor without permission!" Takamaki could be heard saying to the Shadows, making Skull groan in annoyance as he spoke up.

"She totally doesn't get what's goin' on!" Skull said as Mona nodded his agreement before speaking up, Draconis and Joker also nodding.

"Let's hurry! We have to save her!" Mona said as Joker and Skull nodded while Draconis spoke up.

"Indeed. Without a Persona of her own, Takamaki's done for if the Shadows decide to attack her!" Draconis said, as Mona, Skull and Joker nodded their agreement. After the group went through the door at the end of the hall, they were unprepared to see Takamaki shackled to the wall against what looked to be a bronze ornamental X, struggling to get free as she spoke up in frustration.

"What's all this about!? Seriously, I'm gonna call the cops!" Takamaki yelled, as another familiar voice chose then to make their presence known.

"So, this is the intruder." Kamoshida's voice could be heard sneering as he walked out to look at Takamaki himself making Takamaki gasp as she spoke up in horror.

"Kamoshida!?" Takamaki blurted out in horror, but her horror intensified as she saw another version of herself walk up to Kamoshida in a skimpy outfit and stand by him.

"Who's that?" Takamaki asked in mixed horror and confusion. She then frowned as she kept speaking.

"More importantly, what is this place!? Why's the school turned into something like this!?" Takamaki asked as Kamoshida spoke up with a disgusted sneer.

"I can't believe you mistook MY Ann for someone like HER." Kamoshida said, laughing evilly at the look on Takamaki's face as he spoke up.

"Are you afraid?" Kamoshida taunted Takamaki who gave Kamoshida a sneer of her own as she spoke up once more.

"What is that outfit? Have you lost your mind?" Takamaki asked as Kamoshida scoffed before answering her question.

"I do as I please here. After all, this is my castle... The world of my desires." Kamoshida said as Takamaki gasped and spoke up.

"What the-!? Wait...is this some red-light district!?" Takamaki asked making Kamoshida chuckle as he spoke up once more.

"Heh heh, what a lively slave." Kamoshida said making Takamaki frown as she spoke up once more with a glare on her face.

"This isn't funny! Enough of the bullshit, Kamoshida!" Takamaki snapped as Kamoshida huffed before turning to Takamaki's cognitive counterpart.

"This girl's decided to tell me off. What do you think of that?" Kamoshida asked the Takamaki lookalike. The Takamaki lookalike spoke up, making not only Takamaki, but both Skull and Draconis all cringe at how vapid her expression and tone were.

"Talking back is, like... totally unforgivable..." Takamaki's cognitive counterpart said as Joker, Skull and Draconis all growled under their breaths at how vapid and dull the counterpart sounded as Kamoshida turned to the real Takamaki with a smirk as he spoke up once more.

"In that case... she should be executed." Kamoshida said as Takamaki gasped in horror as the captain of the guard walked up at that point as Kamoshida spoke up.

"Now then, how should I play with you? Shall I tear you into little pieces?" Kamoshida asked sadistically making Takamaki gasp as she spoke up.

"Are you kidding me?" Takamaki said, as the camera panned to Mona, Draconis, Skull and Joker all gaping in horror at the sight of scantily-clad people (mainly females) on the ground, some flailing around erratically. Skull shuddered as he spoke up in disgust.

"This is effed up...Is that what he thinks of the girls on the volleyball team!?" Skull asked rhetorically as Mona's eyes went wide as he spoke up.

"Hey, that's-!" Mona said as he ran up to Takamaki and Kamoshida with Skull, Joker and Draconis in tow. Skull spoke up once they'd caught up to Takamaki and Kamoshida.

"Takamaki!" Skull yelled out making Kamoshida scoff as he turned to look at the group.

"Just when I was about to start enjoying myself..." Kamoshida grumbled as Takamaki spoke up.

"What's the deal with this guy!?" Takamaki asked as Skull frowned and clenched his fist while speaking up.

"You little..." Ryuji growled as Kamoshida cut him off while speaking up.

"...How many times are you going to come back?" Kamoshida asked Joker, Skull, Mona and Draconis before looking at Takamaki and speaking.

"I bet you're just like those thieves. You came because you're pissed at me, huh? But, ah...I forgot that chick's name, but it's your fault she jumped, you know." Kamoshida said to Takamaki who blanched at his words as she spoke up.

"Huh...?" Takamaki said in surprise and confusion as Kamoshida explained what he meant, smirking as he spoke.

"You were so reluctant to throw yourself onto me that I had her take your place." Kamoshida said to Takamaki, whose eyes went wide in horror before she and Draconis both spoke up in unified horror and disgust, and a bit of outrage in the latter's case.

"YOU BASTARD!" Takamaki and Draconis snapped in unison, as the guards advanced on Takamaki who gasped.

"...!" Ann gasped as Skull frowned and spoke up in annoyance.

"No!" Skull yelled as Kamoshida glared at the group as they moved to advance, speaking up.

"Take one more step and I'll kill her on the spot." Kamoshida said threateningly, making Joker, Skull, Mona and Draconis back down reluctantly as Skull frowned and spoke up.

"Dammit...!" Skull snarled as Kamoshida spoke up with sadistic glee in his voice.

"Just sit back and enjoy the dismantlement show." Kamoshida said as Takamaki started trembling in slight fear and anxiety as she spoke up.

"No! Don't!" Takamaki said in an almost pleading tone as Kamoshida spoke up, but his words only served to further enrage Skull, Joker and Draconis.

"Maybe I'll start with her clothes..." Kamoshida said as Takamaki's cognitive counterpart giggled before speaking up.

"You're such a perv!" Takamaki's cognitive counterpart said angrily. Skull spoke up in a mix of anger, uncertainty and anxiety.

"H-Hey, what're we gonna do!?" Skull asked Morgana, who shook his head uncertainly as the captain of the guard advanced on Takamaki.

"Takamaki!" Skull yelled in fear. As the guards advanced on Takamaki she slumped as she started speaking almost to herself.

"Is this... my punishment for what happened to Shiho?" Takamaki said, looking ready to submit making Kamoshida smirk as he spoke up.

"That's more like it. You should've looked like this from the start." Kamoshida said to Takamaki who ignored him as she kept muttering to herself.

"Shiho... I'm so sorry..." Takamaki said as Joker and Draconis exchanged a look before nodding as they spoke up.

"Don't listen to what that scumbag has to say, Takamaki! What happened to Suzui-san was in no way your fault! You cannot blame yourself for what that scumbag did to her!" Draconis said to Takamaki who looked at him in confusion and surprise as Joker spoke up to add his two cents.

"Don't give in! You're stronger than that!" Joker said to Takamaki who blinked at Joker's words before speaking up in surprise.

"Huh...? ...You're right, both of you. Letting this piece of shit toy with me..." Takamaki said as she started laughing hollowly as she kept speaking.

"What was I thinking!?" Takamaki asked herself as Kamoshida spoke up again.

"It's like I always say. Slaves should just behave and-" Kamoshida started to say before Takamaki spoke up angrily.

"...Shut up! I've had enough of this...YOU'VE PISSED ME OFF, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Takamaki snapped as she heard a voice in her head.

"My... It's taken far too long." Takamaki heard in her head making her cry out in surprise.

"Urgh!" Takamaki cried out as the voice kept speaking to her.

"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..." Takamaki heard in her head as she nodded her agreement, tears falling from her eyes as she spoke up.

"I hear you...Carmen. You're right. No more holding back!" Takamaki said as, like Joker, Skull and Draconis before her, a mask appeared on her face as she struggled to get free, managing to do so with a burst of strength she got from the now-named Carmen as Carmen spoke up in her head once more as she broke free of her bonds and ripped her mask easily off her face, triggering the requisite burst of blue light to signify her awakening as a horrified Kamoshida could only gasp and look on with the others.

"There you go... Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself. Understand? Then I'll gladly lend you my strength." Carmen said as she manifested next to Takamaki, revealing herself to be a feminine-looking being with black pigtails, a cute-looking face with a mask on it, a red and black dress, and stiletto heels as she stood next to Takamaki. At that point, Takamaki's outfit was revealed to have been changed into a red skin-tight spandex-like bodysuit with pink gloves and a long tail as she kicked a sword out of one of the stunned guards' hands before jumping up and catching it in one hand before hefting it and bringing it down in an arc as it swung down...and cut down Takamaki's cognitive counterpart, who dissolved into black mist to Kamoshida's horror. Takamaki then glared at Kamoshida as she spoke up in a pissed-off tone.

"You know what? I'm not some cheap girl you can toy with... you scumbag." Takamaki said to Kamoshida who frowned as he spoke up.

"Bitch...!" Kamoshida said angrily as Takamaki glared at him as she kept speaking, ignoring the fact he insulted her for the moment.

"You stole everything from Shiho... You destroyed her... Now it's your turn!" Takamaki said as Skull, Joker and Draconis walked up to her and stood by her. Takamaki then pointed at Kamoshida angrily.

"I will rob you of everything!" Ann said threateningly to Kamoshida as the guards huffed at her and spoke up.

"How dare you! Enough of your nonsense!" The captain of the guards snapped as Draconis huffed and spoke up.

"I believe that's OUR line, fool." Draconis snarked before looking at Skull, Joker and Takamaki.

"Let's get these creeps, yeah?" Draconis asked Takamaki, Skull and Joker who nodded as the guards turned into Shadows. Takamaki frowned as she glared at the Shadows.

"No, I'VE had enough of YOU! No one's gonna stop me now! Especially when I have these guys on my side! Let's go, Carmen!" Takamaki said as Joker, Skull and Draconis nodded before speaking up themselves as Takamaki took a crouched-down position to assume a battle-ready stance.

"SMAUG!/ARSENE!/CAPTAIN KIDD!" Draconis, Joker and Skull called out as they summoned their respective Personas for battle. Draconis cringed as the captain of the guard turned into a demon sitting on a toilet which then spoke up as it glared at Takamaki.

"How dare you deny King Kamoshida's love, you selfish lass!? Pay for this impudence with your life!" The captain of the guard snapped at Takamaki who scoffed and spoke up.

"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!" Takamaki said. After a bit of a back-and-forth fight, the Shadow slumped over defeated as it spoke up once more.

"To think... there would be a woman... who could stand up to King Kamoshida..." The captain of the guard said as Takamaki scoffed.

"Pfft, outside of school, that guy's nothing but a pathetic loser!" Takamaki taunted the captain of the guard who dissolved into black mist like Takamaki's cognitive counterpart did previously, ending the battle. After the battle, Kamoshida gasped as he saw the guards get destroyed, speaking up in fear.

"Oh shit...!" Kamoshida said before turning and fleeing in cowardice. Takamaki frowned and yelled at his retreating form.

"Wait...!" Takamaki yelled at Kamoshida, but to no avail as he was already long gone. After he left, Skull walked up to Takamaki.

"Why'd you come here, man!? And more importantly, how!?" Skull asked Takamaki, but Draconis spoke up with an annoyed eye roll before Takamaki could answer Skull.

"First off, don't call her 'man'! She is a lady after all! Secondly, is here REALLY the place to be asking that!? Seriously! Think before you speak, Skull!" Draconis scolded Skull. Mona nodded approvingly to Draconis' rebuke of Skull before he added in his two cents as he spoke up.

"Hey! Is that how you speak to a woman!?" Mona snapped at Skull before turning to Takamaki and speaking to her.

"Are you all right, Lady Ann!?' Mona asked Takamaki, who looked at Mona in confusion as she spoke up.

"Lady Ann...? Wait, what IS this thing? Is it alive? How can it talk? And... where in the WORLD are we!?" Takamaki asked as Mona spoke up in an attempt to calm Takamaki.

"J-Just calm down. Everything's going to be okay, so don't worry." Mona said as Joker and Skull nodded their agreement while Draconis spoke up, kneeling slightly so he could look Takamaki in the eyes as he spoke.

"And we will answer all your questions, just probably not here where the Shadows could come back to finish us off. Let's table them until we get to a safe place, yeah?" Draconis said kindly to Takamaki, giving her a very gentle but reassuring pat on the shoulder as he smiled at her. Takamaki smiled at Draconis before standing up, accidentally smashing her palm on Mona's head in the process, amid chuckles from Skull and Joker as she answered Mona.

"How am I supposed to calm down!?" Takamaki asked rhetorically before blinking as she noticed her new outfit and gasping as she spoke up once more.

"H-Huh? Why am I dressed like this!? When did I-" Takamaki said, crossing her arms over her chest to hide the exposed cleavage that her bodysuit showed as she kept speaking.

"Ugh, what's with this!?" Takamaki said as Draconis spoke up once more.

"As I said before, all will be explained in due course, Takamaki-san. Just not here. Be patient with us and trust us, and when we're someplace safer, all will be explained." Draconis said to Takamaki as Joker spoke up at that point.

"Yeah, what Draconis said. Also, don't worry about your outfit, Takamaki. You look great." Joker said with a smirk. Draconis rolled his eyes at his brother's odd choice of methods for trying to calm Takamaki, who frowned at Joker as she spoke up in confusion after once more smiling appreciatively at Draconis.

"Huh? What are you talking about!? What the hell are you thinking?" Takamaki said to Joker, frowning at him as she spoke. Mona frowned and shrugged as he spoke up.

"Well, I'm stumped..." Mona said as Skull and Joker chuckled at his perplexed expression as he looked at Takamaki before speaking up more.

"A search party will be coming for us soon. There's no time to explain." Mona said to Takamaki before looking at Skull, Draconis and Joker as he spoke up once more.

"We don't have a choice. Let's retreat for now!" Mona said to Skull, Joker and Draconis, who all nodded as Skull huffed as he spoke up while frowning at Takamaki.

"Ugh, we were just gettin' fired up, and you had to go and get in the way... Rgh, fine..." Skull said huffily as Draconis frowned at Skull and spoke up.

"Be fair here, Skull. You say that like Takamaki-san here CHOSE to come back here and follow us. It's not like she did any of this on purpose, so try to be understanding for once." Draconis rebuked Skull before looking at Takamaki again as he spoke up.

"You gonna be okay? If you need to, you can lean on me to steady yourself while we get out of here. You can walk under your own power if you prefer, but I wouldn't recommend it in case you end up drained after we get out of here." Draconis said calmly to Takamaki as Skull walked forward to speak to Takamaki, not letting her reply to Draconis before he spoke up as he looked at her.

"Here... Gimme your arm." Skull said to Takamaki before looking over at Draconis who was closest to the other side of Takamaki and speaking again.

"You take the other side." Skull said to Draconis who frowned as he spoke up once more.

"I don't mind, but shouldn't it be her choice if we help her or not?" Draconis asked uncertainly. Takamaki just took the offered arms as the group made their way out of the Metaverse...

(Back in the real world, with Ren, Kusa, Morgana, Ryuji and Takamaki)

"Mm, thanks." Takamaki said to the others as she smiled at them slightly before Ryuji spoke up, giving Takamaki a concerned look as he spoke.

"Looks like we made it back-hey, are you okay?" Ryuji asked Takamaki who nodded before speaking up uneasily.

"Heh, well, pretty much...Wait, I lied-I'm still confused about all of this." Takamaki as Morgana chose then to speak up, not seeing Ren and Kusa both groan at his speaking up.

"You may be safe now, but a lot did happen back there...At any rate, we stand out too much here. Let's relocate to a safer spot." Morgana said as the others nodded before relocating to a nearby station as Ryuji spoke up, looking at Takamaki as he spoke.

"Which one you want?" Ryuji asked Takamaki, holding out a soft drink. Takamaki smiled as she spoke up.

"Whichever's not carbonated." Takamaki said as Ryuji winced before speaking up once more.

"Uh, they're both carbonated actually." Ryuji said awkwardly. Takamaki then sweatdropped as she spoke up.

"Then..." Takamaki said as she took the drink from Ryuji's hand making him smile as he gave it to her.

"Here ya go." Ryuji said as he handed Ren a drink, making Morgana speak up.

"What about me?" Morgana asked, making Kusa huff as he spoke up.

"Really, Morgana-sensei? I don't know if you could safely handle a drink in your current form." Kusa said reprovingly to Morgana. Ryuji nodded his agreement with Kusa as he frowned and spoke up to Morgana.

"Huh? But you're a cat." Ryuji said, before wincing as Kusa lightly elbowed him in the ribs as he spoke up.

"He's not a cat, Ryuji. Get that through your thick head." Kusa chastised Ryuji as Takamaki giggled at Ryuji's remark. Morgana saw and smiled as he spoke to Takamaki.

"Have you calmed down, Lady Ann?" Morgana asked Takamaki who blinked before turning to face Morgana as she spoke up.

"Um... Morgana, right? I really am talking to a cat... This feels so strange...Oh, sorry! You're not a cat, right?" Takamaki said to Morgana, surprising Kusa who was about to correct her. Morgana just smiled and nodded as he spoke up comfortingly.

"It's only natural that you're confused. Demanding that you understand all of this right after what you went through is asking too much." Morgana said as Takamaki chuckled before speaking up in surprise.

"Honestly, I still can't believe what happened...And that power... my Persona..." Takamaki said, trailing off as Morgana explained things to her somewhat.

"It's the will of your rebellion, Lady Ann. With it, you'll be able to fight in that other world." Morgana said to Takamaki who nodded as she spoke up once more.

"So if what you told me is true, we can make Kamoshida have a change of heart, right? Is it really possible? Can we actually force him to confess his crimes?" Takamaki asked while Ryuji spoke up with a nod.

"The volleyball team's keepin' quiet about this, while teachers and parents turn a blind eye. If guys like us try and complain, they're just gonna shoot us down. Goin' all-in on this plan is the only choice we got." Ryuji said as Takamaki nodded, speaking up in a resolute tone as she looked at the group.

"Then let me help too. I want to make him pay for what happened to Shiho. He just keeps going like nothing happened, even after what he did to her... I'll never forgive him." Takamaki said as Ryuji blinked before speaking up in shock.

"Wait, did you just say, 'Let me help'? You mean you want us to take you along?" Ryuji said in concern as he looked at Takamaki who huffed before speaking up defiantly.

"Don't act like I'm going to drag you down. Weren't you watching? I can fight too." Takamaki said as Ryuji turned to Ren and Kusa uncertainly.

"Hey... What should we do?" Ryuji asked Kusa and Ren, the former of which huffed at Ryuji's over-protective tendencies and spoke up while the latter stroked his chin in thought.

"I don't know about Ren, but I for one think Takamaki would make a great addition to our group. Not to mention, Morgana-sensei did just say we needed more firepower in our arsenal, and as I recall, I said it didn't necessarily have to come from a man if we do get it. Lo and behold, I was correct on that point. What do you think, Ren?" Kusa said as Ren spoke up with a nod.

"I agree with you, Kusa. She'll be great. She already fights better than Ryuji does at any rate, and has more comprehension." Ren joked. Morgana nodded as he too spoke up.

"I agree as well. As Kusa mentioned, We are lacking in manpower, after all. Don't worry, I'll protect her." Morgana said. Takamaki huffed as she spoke up.

"Even if you said no, I'd just go in alone." Takamaki said sagely, making Ren and Ryuji blink as they realized she had the Meta-Nav on her phone like they did. Kusa chuckled as he spoke up once more with an amused smirk on his face as he looked at Ryuji in particular as he spoke.

"I'm not one to say I told you so, Ryuji, but I did tell you so. Don't underestimate a lady when she's determined. After all, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, or so they say." Kusa said with a smirk as Ryuji huffed and nodded his agreement.

"Oh, right, she can go by herself...I guess it'd be more dangerous turnin' her down...Rgh, fine..." Ryuji said reluctantly as Takamaki chuckled as she spoke up.

"Then it's decided. Well, I hope we all get along!" Takamaki said as she looked Kusa and Ren in the eyes as she kept speaking.

"I'm going to make Kamoshida atone for what he did. Not just for Shiho's sake... but for everything he's done. I won't let any more people suffer because of him. I'll do whatever it takes!" Takamaki said as Kusa smiled and spoke up as he looked Takamaki in the eyes while he spoke

"And we'll all be right there with you, helping you get your payback every step of the way. Kamoshida's not getting away with what he's done. I think we're ALL agreed on that." Kusa said sagely as Ren nodded, sensing a strong fighting resolve from Takamaki.

(Fast forward back to the interrogation room with Sae and Joker)

"A group like yours must have relied on subtlety and misdirection. Otherwise, you'd never survive. Some of you might even have been hiding behind a 'public face' their entire lives. If you're listening, then answer me!"

(Back in the present)

Ren smiled as he looked at Ann as he heard a voice in his head, much like he had when Ryuji joined the group.

"I am thou...Thou art I...Thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy bonds of captivity. With the birth of the Lovers Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power..." Ren heard in his head as another card appeared in his mind's eye, this one reading 'Lovers' with a 1 on it signifying it reached rank 1. Ren's attention was grabbed when Takamaki spoke up.

"Since we're all going to be working together from now on, go ahead and call me Ann if you like. That being said, just let me know when you're heading back in... Oh wait! We don't have each other's info. Hey, give me your number and chat ID. And, um..." Ann said as the group exchanged contact info with Ann. Afterwards Ann smiled and spoke up.

"I'll be counting on you guys, then. Same goes for you, Morgana." Ann said as Morgana smirked before speaking up from in Ren's bag.

"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Ann." Morgana said as Ann walked off, after which he kept speaking to Ren and Kusa.

"What a kind girl... Such admirable consideration for others... And the innocence to cast herself into the jaws of death to achieve her goal...She cares about her friends, and she's beautiful to boot, too...What a girl! She's captured my heart..." Morgana said with a sigh as Ryuji and Ren both scoffed while Kusa blinked before looking at Morgana and speaking up.

"Whoa...I'm not sure if I should be impressed by how much you're defending her honor or worried that your skills with the ladies could arguably be worse than Ryuji's, Morgana-sensei. Don't you agree, Ren?" Kusa asked Ren who smiled and nodded.

"Exactly. Besides, don't forget you're currently in the form of a cat, while she's a human. Plus, if what Ryuji's said before is true, you might be the wrong gender for her." Ren said, not seeing Kusa's eyes go wide at Ren's remark before he lightly slapped Ren on the shoulder.

"OI! Morgana's NOT a cat, Ren! Also, don't be saying that so loudly and in public! Whether that's true or not, that's not our business to discuss." Kusa rebuked Ren as Ryuji spoke up.

"Dude." Ryuji said in uncertainty to Morgana before looking at Kusa and Ren as he kept speaking.

"You know, it'd be better if this group could get together quick from now on..." Ryuji said as Morgana nodded his approval.

"True. Our best option would be to make a secret hideout where we could discuss these things." Morgana said as Ren and Kusa nodded their approval. Ryuji smirked as he spoke up once more, an amused grin on his face as he spoke.

"A hideout, huh? I like the sound of that." Ryuji said as Morgana nodded before speaking up.

"The school rooftop could work. It seems like nobody goes up there. For the time being, that would make the perfect hideout. I can't contact you from inside a Palace, so I'll stay inside this world. That being said, I'll need someone to take care of me." Morgana said before looking at Kusa as he spoke up once more.

"I was going to nominate Ren, but thinking more about it, you seem like a better choice so I'm personally nominating you, Kusa. You should feel honored." Morgana said to Kusa, who nodded his approval as he spoke up.

"I should feel honored, and indeed I do. I vow to take the best care of you that I can, Morgana-sensei. You won't regret this choice." Kusa said with a respectful nod. Ren's eyes went wide at the implications of Morgana's decision as Ryuji gave a nod of approval before speaking up.

"This is all you, you guys. There's no way I can at my place." Ryuji said as Kusa frowned.

"Oh? Is your place not pet-friendly? Not that you're a pet, Morgana-sensei, I was just asking as a precaution." Kusa said, adding the last bit after he saw Morgana give him a warning look.

"Yeah, something like that. Well, we now have our hideout, so let's meet there tomorrow!" Ryuji said as he darted off to catch the train as Morgana spoke up from inside Ren's bag.

"Okay! Let's go look at my new residence for this world." Morgana said, getting an unimpressed sweatdrop from Ren as Kusa nodded approvingly. Ren and Kusa then headed back to Leblanc, where Sojiro nodded by way of greeting as they walked in before speaking up.

"Stay upstairs while we're open for business." Sojiro said as Kusa and Ren nodded their acknowledgement. As they went to go upstairs, the one guest that was there, a punk-rock looking woman, got up and looked at Sojiro.

"Thanks. I'll see you later." The woman said to Sojiro who smirked and nodded.

"Come back again." Sojiro said to the woman who nodded before walking out of the door after which Sojiro turned to Ren and Kusa and spoke up once more.

"Phew... That's it for today." Sojiro said as Ren spoke up.

"I'll understand if you tell me it's not my business, but who was that customer just now?" Ren asked, clearly curious about the woman who'd left, ignoring both Morgana and Kusa rolling their eyes at his question while Sojiro frowned and spoke up once more.

"Oh, that customer just now? She's the head doctor at that clinic down the street. Rumor has it she gives some pretty crappy examinations, and sells some weird homemade medicines on top of that. At least, that's what I've heard. I haven't been there myself. They should really just leave her alone. It's not like she's getting in the way of their lives..." Sojiro said as Morgana chose that point to speak up, making Ren and Kusa blink at him speaking up.

"Hey, are we there yet?" Morgana asked as Sojiro blinked at hearing a meow from Ren's bag. He then shrugged it off and spoke up again.

"Well, I've gotta get home and start making dinner..." Sojiro said as he left, letting Ren and Kusa lead Morgana upstairs, where Ren let Morgana out of the bag on his bed, where Morgana blinked as he looked around in frustration.

"What the.. What is this place? Is this some kind of abandoned house!?" Morgana asked Ren and Kusa, but before either could reply, Sojiro walked up the stairs, making Ren and Kusa's eyes go wide as Sojiro saw Morgana on the bed.

"Hey, are you-Oh! I was wondering why I heard meowing...What did you bring it here for!?" Sojiro asked Ren and Kusa. Kusa spoke up at that point.

"We found him wandering around on his own by the school. We asked around, and no one recognized him, so Ren and I decided we'd take care of him until we could find his owner. But if you don't want us having him here, we'll have to make alternative arrangements, Sakura-san." Kusa said by way of explanation. Ren nodded as he spoke up.

"Yeah, like Kusa said, it was abandoned." Ren said. Sojiro sighed as he looked at Ren and Kusa, surprised by how politely they'd answered him.

"That's... That's a shame. Look, this place is a restaurant. Animals are a no-go...Though I guess you might stay on good behavior if you've got a pet to take care of, Ren...Fine...But keep it quiet when we're open for business. And don't let it roam downstairs, or I'll toss it out. Oh, and I'm not gonna take care of it. That's all on you." Sojiro said firmly as Kusa nodded his understanding as he spoke up.

"I understand, Sakura-san. Ren and I will take good care of him, won't we Ren?" Kusa said to Ren, subtly nudging him in the side as he spoke getting a nod from Ren. After he walked downstairs, Morgana spoke up once more.

"Was that the ruler of this place?" Morgana asked as Ren nodded, prompting Morgana to speak up once more.

"He seems pretty understanding for someone who keeps you cramped up in this dump. Then again, I suppose to normal people I just sound like a meowing cat." Morgana said as Sojiro came back up and set a plate down next to Morgana, sighing as he spoke up.

"Seriously...It had to keep calling out in that cute little voice..." Sojiro said as he looked at Ren before speaking more.

"Make sure you wash that dish. By the way...have you decided on a name?" Sojiro asked as Kusa spoke up at that point.

"We hadn't at first, but when we checked his collar, the name 'Morgana' was written on it, so we figured that was his name and have been calling him that." Kusa explained, giving Ren and Morgana a look that said 'go along with it.' which got a nod from Ren. Sojiro blinked at this before speaking up again.

"Morgana? Huh...I was hoping I'd get to name it..." Sojiro said. Kusa smirked at this, unable to resist asking.

"Oh? And what would you have named him, Sakura-san?" Kusa asked Sojiro who just huffed before walking back downstairs without answering, making Morgana chuckle before speaking up.

"Looks like the chief likes me better than you." Morgana said to Ren. Kusa huffed as he spoke up.

"Be nice, Morgana-sensei. It's not Ren's fault he has a record and people automatically assume the worst about him without getting to know him. He's really a good guy if you take the time to get to know him, as you should know by now from the little time we've worked together, or at least hopefully you'll see that in time. As to your earlier questions, as Sakura-san said, this is a place of business, not an abandoned house. More specifically, we're in an attic. The bed you're on now is Ren's, while I sleep on this sofa over here." Kusa said to Morgana as he went to sit on the sofa in question to indicate what he meant, getting a nod from Morgana who spoke up again.

"And to be honest, this place is heaven compared to Kamoshida's cells." Morgana said before hesitating briefly before speaking up.

"...Remember how you guys asked me before about what I am? To be honest, I don't remember anything about my birth. I think the Metaverse's distortions made me lose both my memories AND my true form." Morgana said as Ren spoke up with a teasing smirk.

"Is that form a cat, by chance?" Ren joked as Kusa socked him in the arm.

"Don't be stupid, Ren. Morgana-sensei said already he's a human who was cursed to look like a cat. So clearly that form is a human." Kusa said huffily. Morgana nodded to Kusa as he glared at Ren before speaking up.

"Exactly! Like Kusa said, I already told you! I'm an honest-to-god human! If I were originally just a cat, how could I talk!? It doesn't make any sense! There's no doubt that the distortions were what caused me to lose my real self. I'm sure that once they're purged, I'll be able to get that self back. And I have a pretty good idea on how to do it too. That's why I was in the castle in the first place." Morgana said before turning to look at the plate that Sakura had sat down before speaking up once more.

"Come to think of it, I didn't get hungry over in that world..." Morgana said as he started eating the given food, Kusa smirking at how much Morgana clearly was enjoying himself. After he finished eating, Morgana looked up at Ren and Kusa and spoke once more.

"Let me make myself clear: Your taking care of me won't be for nothing. It'll be give and take. Due to my knowledgeable and dexterous nature, I have a lot of intel on infiltration tools." Morgana said as Kusa looked at Morgana and spoke up in surprise.

"Infiltration tools, you say? That could be rather useful." Kusa said approvingly as Ren just nodded and spoke up.

"What are those? I've heard the term but never really done much research into it." Ren said as Kusa facefaulted at hearing this.

"You've never heard of infiltration tools, Ren!? But that's what most spies and thieves use to do their work! That's like one of the most basic of basic concepts!" Kusa said in shock. Morgana nodded approvingly to Kusa's response before speaking up once more, looking at Ren as he spoke.

"Whoa, I can't tell you more unless we settle on a deal. In exchange for you and Kusa keeping me here, I'll teach you about these tools, and how to make them. How does that sound?" Morgana asked Ren who just nodded as he spoke up, seeing the pleading look Kusa was giving him.

"Let's do this, if only so Kusa will stop giving me that pleading look of his." Ren said teasingly as Kusa huffed before speaking up.

"OI! Excuse me for being excited to have Morgana-sensei basically bunking with us for the time being." Kusa said as he crossed his arms. Morgana smiled, gently rubbing his head on Kusa's hand briefly before looking at Ren as he spoke up.

"I like that answer. Hehehe... Then, it's a deal." Morgana said. Ren and Kusa just nodded their agreement, the former noting that Morgana seemed rather happy in that moment...

(Flash forward back to the interrogation room with Sae and Joker)

"Skillful infiltration and escapes to all manner of places...There's even the possibility that you used special tools and had someone who manufactured them...Answer me!" Sae said to Joker.

(Back in the present with Ren, Kusa and Morgana)

Ren smirked at Kusa leaning down to pet Morgana gently on the head, Morgana leaning into the offered pets, seemingly enjoying himself as he purred. As this went on, Ren once more heard a voice in his head.

"I am thou...Thou art I...Thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity. With the birth of the Magician Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessings that shall lead to freedom and new power..." Ren heard as he saw another card appear in his mind's eye, this one saying 'Magician' with a I on it, signifying it was at Rank 1 and that Ren had been taught the basics of infiltration tools by Morgana. After that, Morgana spoke up once more.

"I'll lecture you about the infiltration tools over time." Morgana said before changing the subject with a smile as he looked at Ren.

"By the way, the power you used in the Palace was seriously amazing. The stronger that power gets, the more reliable it'll be as a trump card. All right, I'm gonna stick with you wherever you go from today on. Personas are the strength born from one's heart. Depending on what kind of life experience you gain, I bet it'll affect that power as well!" Morgana said to Ren who just nodded, not feeling like arguing with Morgana about how illogical his plan was. Morgana then kept speaking.

"And if you become acquainted with capable people, you might learn various, useful skills too...This is all part of our deal, got it?" Morgana asked Ren who nodded as Morgana spoke up once more, the two basically ignoring Kusa for the moment.

"I expect great things from you. Don't let me down, okay? That goes for you as well, Kusa." Morgana said as Ren nodded before Kusa spoke up.

"But of course, Morgana-sensei. You were nice enough to take us under your wing and teach us your ways after all. The least we can do is do our best to live up to your expectations to the best of our abilities. So I will do my best to live up to those expectations, Morgana-sensei." Kusa said respectfully. Morgana nodded approvingly as he looked at Ren before speaking up.

"Also, I'll accompany you when you go out. Don't worry, it's free of charge. Getting around in cat form sounds pretty inconvenient, though...Well, it is what it is. I'll just have to deal with being carried in that bag of yours." Morgana said as Kusa spoke up with a smile.

"If his bag becomes too much to handle, he and I can switch off on carrying you in our bags." Kusa said to Morgana who smiled.

"I like that idea, Kusa. I might take you up on that from time to time." Morgana said as Ren's phone went off, signifying a chat message, and to his surprise when he checked it, it was a message from Ann.

"Thanks for everything today. You saved me, and I didn't even thank you properly." Ann sent as Ren stroked his chin before sending his response.

"Don't worry about it. I was happy to help out. Besides, both Kusa and Morgana would've had my head if I hadn't helped, not that I'm callous enough to not help a lady in need." Ren sent. Ann wasted little time in sending a response.

"I can't. Anyway, I wanted to let you know at least. See you tomorrow." Ann sent as Ren put his phone away in time for Morgana to speak up while looking at him.

"You guys send messages to each other with that thing, right? I want in on this too, so I'm gonna have to ask you to type for me." Morgana said as Ren nodded. He then spoke up once more with a frown.

"At any rate... Is this really a place for someone to live?" Morgana asked Ren and Kusa, the latter of which shrugged as he spoke up.

"Honestly? Not really, but I'm pretty sure it was the best Sakura-san could do on short notice, so I'm just as grateful to have a place to sleep at all." Kusa said politely as Ren nodded his agreement. Morgana nodded before speaking up.

"Fair enough. I suppose we should get some sleep for now since it's fairly late. Might as well be able to be up early tomorrow." Morgana said as Kusa and Ren nodded their agreement before laying down on the sofa and bed respectively to go to sleep. After a bit, Morgana looked at both options before eventually making a decision and deftly leaping up onto the sofa to curl up on top of Kusa who blinked briefly before his hand felt Morgana's fur and smiled as he gently petted Morgana before rolling over to sleep, pleased that Morgana felt comfortable enough to lay on him. Ren shifted in his sleep as he heard Morgana jump onto the sofa, flinching as he thought he'd jumped onto the bed, eventually dozing off while muttering in his sleep about weights on his chest and threats...

(The next day, on the way to school, with Ren, Kusa and Morgana, neutral POV)

Kusa and Ren frowned as they heard two females talking on the way to the school.

"What's wrong? You don't look so good." One of the females said to the other. The other girl shrugged before speaking up.

"I haven't been feeling well lately. My head's all foggy, and I have no energy...I've tried every drug at the pharmacy, but nothing works. Do I have some new virus? Is this the onset of a psychotic breakdown? Wh-What should I do? Am I going to die!?" The other girl said as her friend frowned but spoke up.

"Calm down, calm down! Let's go to the clinic. Come on. I'm sure the doctor can prescribe something that'll fix you right up!" The first girl said as Morgana spoke up from in Ren's bag, drawing his attention back from the conversation.

"I see. Doctors have the best medicine, huh...Hey, wasn't that one customer back at Leblanc a doctor?" Morgana asked Ren who blinked, exchanged an uncertain glance with Kusa, then spoke up quietly so only Kusa and Morgana could hear him.

"First of all, keep your voice down. Secondly, so what? Why would any of us need medicine? We're all quite healthy, aren't we?" Ren said as Kusa nodded his agreement. Morgana nodded as he spoke up once more, unfazed by Ren's response.

"True, but it might be nice to have some strong medicine to use in the Palace..." Morgana said as Ren rolled his eyes, right about the time that Ryuji walked up and fell into step with Ren as he spoke up.

"Yo, mornin' Ren. What're you doin' here? Let's head to school together. I mean it's right there, but whatever." Ryuji said as Ren nodded, walking ahead with Ryuji, Morgana hiding in Ren's bag as Kusa walked a bit behind them.

(In Ren's class, with Ren and Morgana, neutral POV)

Ren's phone went off, this time signalling a group chat from Ryuji, the first since adding Ann to the chat.

"Hey, we're meeting up at the hideout after school, right?" Ryuji sent. Not long after, Ann sent a response.

"Don't text now. We're in class." Ann sent. After a short pause, Kusa was the next to send a response.

"Precisely. Unlike you Ryuji, some of us actually have to be careful not to get into trouble since while you and Ann might get your own desks, and to a lesser degree Ren, I have to share mine because my class apparently favors the buddy system for seating purposes. Luckily my desk partner is pretty laid-back and not that nosy, but even so I try not to get her into trouble, partly since Ren may or may not have a crush on her from the train, even if he denies it up and down. But that's neither here or there. But yes Ryuji, hideout after school unless Ren or Morgana-sensei decide otherwise." Kusa sent.

Unbeknownst to him, his one text would have several different reactions from the others. Ryuji just snickered quietly as Kusa all but confirmed his desk partner was the red-haired girl he hinted at Ren crushing on, while Ann giggled at the idea of Ren having a crush, and Ren himself seethed quietly as he glared at the text from Kusa, annoyed at his brother for being an instigator. Morgana chuckled at the look on Ren's face but stayed in the bag. Surprisingly, Ryuji sent another response after Kusa's.

"Whoa! You mean you're actually listening to all this crap?" Ryuji sent as Ann sent another message shortly after Ryuji's.

"Yeah, but none of it is really sticking today..." Ann sent as Ryuji sent another message back afterwards.

"I know, right? Anyways, hideout after school?" Ryuji sent as Ren chose that moment to send a response of his own.

"Yes, Ryuji. Hideout after school. That said, I told you to quit bringing that girl up, Kusa! Besides, what's the point in me liking her if we're not even in the same grade? It's unlikely that anything would come of having a crush on a younger girl. Besides, even if it did admittedly feel nice to be able to hold her briefly the other day, I don't even know her name. So you can see how even thinking of possibly being interested in her would be a problem." Ren sent, hoping Kusa picked up the annoyance at him in his response.

"Red-haired girl...hmm, there's a few of those here, but red-haired with a ponytail!? Offhand, my first instinct is to assume you're referring to Yoshizawa-san, who is in fact a first-year, even if she's an honors student. But considering Kusa mentioned the girl in question is his desk partner, I couldn't say if it's her or not without knowing what class Yoshizawa is in. And no Ren, before you ask, I don't know her full name. I only know her surname because tons of people talk about her around the school. Anyways, where exactly is this 'hideout'?" Ann sent. Kusa read Ann's reply and sent a response of his own.

"Chill out, Ren. I'm only teasing you because I care and because I think she's a good match for you. And to what you said Ann, I do believe my desk partner's name is Kasumi, but I can never remember her last name, so maybe she is this 'Yoshizawa-san' you spoke of? Also, I'll let Ryuji answer your question about the hideout." Kusa sent, as Ren blinked at Kusa all but confirming Ann's theory about the red-haired girl's name but didn't get to send a response before Ryuji beat him to it.

"Didn't think Ren had a thing for honors students, but eh you do you I guess, dude. Also, the hideout's the school roof." Ryuji sent. Ann blinked as she read Ryuji and Kusa's responses before sending her own.

"First of all Ryuji, I think it's cute Ren likes the honors student, if in fact that's who this red-headed girl is that Kusa mentioned Ren liking. Also, you don't have to be embarrassed, Ren. I think it's adorable that you like this girl. Granted, you're not going to know if she feels the same or not unless you take a chance and talk to her. And wait, we can still go up there Ryuji?" Ann sent. Ryuji chuckled at Ann's response before sending his own.

"Yeah, I'll let you in. And honestly, I'd have to see this girl for myself, but I think it's a safe bet that it probably is Yoshizawa that Ren likes. Hopefully we can stop Kamoshida before he gets his claws into her. Welp, I'll be waiting. Just come on up once school's over." Ryuji sent. Ren read the messages and shrugged before sending a response.

"I'll think about it, Ann. But I make no promises given she might've heard about my record by now and not want anything to do with me. That being said, gotcha Ryuji." Ren said and when Ryuji sent his next response, both Ren AND Kusa groaned at what he sent, the latter of the two shocked that Ryuji'd even heard of the show he referenced with his next response.

"I'm gonna fine you if you're late!" Ryuji sent. Kusa rolled his eyes at the response before sending his own response.

"Seriously, Ryuji!? I didn't peg you for a gamer, much less a Pokemon fan. Yet you made a reference to it so you must've at least heard of it. I'm actually impressed man. That said, your Barry impression needs a bit more work." Kusa sent. Ren then put his phone away after silencing it so he didn't have to deal with the likely text fest between Kusa and Ryuji, and maybe Ann. Right as he put his phone away, Ushimaru frowned at Ren and spoke up.

"Are you listening? Hey, Amamiya! You! Pay attention! Is that how you listen when someone's talking to you!?" Ushimaru said before flinging a piece of chalk at Ren, which nailed him square in the center of his forehead. Some of the nearby students laughed at this.

"Ooh, that looked like it hurt." One student said, making the nearby students chuckle.

"He hit him right in the forehead..." Another student said while snickering. Ushimaru huffed as he glared at Ren.

"That's what you get for daydreaming! Kids these days have no respect for their elders." Ushimaru said as Morgana sighed and spoke up.

"Good grief... Looks like you need more proficiency to completely dodge that." Morgana said as Ren nodded, rubbing his forehead where the chalk hit as he paid attention to the class...

(After school, at the rooftop with Ryuji, Ann, Kusa, Ren and Morgana, neutral POV)

"Looks like we're all here. Mkay, let's get goin'!" Ryuji said after the group had gathered. Morgana huffed before speaking up while glaring at Ryuji.

"Hold on, it's still too early for us to head to the Palace." Morgana said as Ryuji huffed and spoke up in confusion.

"But why? Don't we just gotta steal that Treasure thing?" Ryuji asked as Morgana rolled his eyes before speaking up.

"Don't underestimate the dangers of that place! We need to prepare." Morgana said as Ryuji rolled his eyes and spoke up confidently.

"Ain't that Persona shit we got enough to deal with it?" Ryuji asked as Morgana huffed before speaking up with a glare.

"That's EXACTLY what I mean when I say don't underestimate it. You'll die if you mess up in there. So again, we need to prepare before we head in." Morgana said as Ann frowned before deciding to speak up at that moment, looking at Morgana as she spoke.

"But... how exactly are we supposed to do that?" Ann asked. Morgana smiled at Ann's question as he spoke up again.

"I'm glad you asked, Lady Ann." Morgana said ignoring the skeptical looks on Ren and Kusa's faces as he kept speaking.

"First, we'll need to find better equipment for all of you." Morgana said as Ryuji spoke up with a smirk on his face.

"You talkin' about weapons? Oh, I know a kick-ass place!" Ryuji said as Morgana blinked before nodding as he spoke up.

"In that case, you can handle that side of things. The only other thing would be stocking up on medicine. Fatigue is unavoidable in a Palace..." Morgana said as Ann spoke up.

"And where can we get medicine?" Ann asked as Morgana spoke up with a smirk.

"Don't worry, I know just the place. I hope you look forward to it, Lady Ann!" Morgana said with a cocky grin on his face, making Kusa huff before he spoke up.

"Be that as it may Morgana-sensei, I don't think those preparations really need all of us to finish them, aside from maybe some measurements and such. Otherwise, I think you and Ren can probably handle the medicine, while Ryuji handles the weapons. Meaning Ann and I would find some way to make ourselves useful in the meantime." Kusa said with a shrug, figuring it was best to employ a 'divide and conquer' strategy of sorts for the preparations. Morgana nodded as he spoke up once more.

"That's fair, Kusa. Now then, Ren and I have some business in Yongen, so let's head off for today!" Morgana said as Ren blinked at him before speaking up.

"Uh, what business...?" Ren asked uncertainly, confused as to what Morgana was referring. Morgana huffed as he looked at Ren.

"Just come with me! I won't be able to get close enough by myself!" Morgana said to Ren who shrugged and nodded. Kusa nodded as he spoke up once more.

"Fair enough. Sounds like we're done for now. So I guess Ryuji can either give one of us the name of the weapons shop he knows or he can take one of us there himself, while Morgana-sensei takes Ren to deal with the medicine problem. Do I have the divvying of roles about right?" Kusa asked as Ann spoke up.

"Sounds good to me. Odds are Ryuji will take you with him to the weapons place unless he wants to take me. So I guess that settles that." Ann said as Kusa frowned.

"No, if anything, Ryuji can give me the name of the place and you and I can go and check it out while Ryuji does some looking into places that sell armor and/or accessories in case we need to improve our defenses. I'd rather not leave you by yourself after what you've been through, even if you are more than capable of looking after yourself. Unless you'd rather be by yourself?" Kusa said to Ann who smiled and shook her head.

"Not at all, I was honestly hoping you'd suggest we handle things together, Kusa. If nothing else, we can do some research into your desk partner and maybe hook her up with Ren." Ann said as Kusa nodded before speaking up once more..

"Fair enough, that sounds good to me. Let's get to it, people." Kusa said as the group nodded, before dispersing to handle their assigned jobs...

(In Shibuya with Ren and Morgana, neutral POV)

"Can I talk? Hey, remember that customer you met at Leblanc yesterday? The doctor who prescribes medication after a quick examination? She was sitting at the booth..." Morgana said as Ren frowned but nodded as he spoke up.

"Yeah, I remember her. But Sakura-san made it sound like her medicine was shoddy and sketchy. Plus he said all he knew about her were rumors." Ren pointed out. Morgana shook his head as he spoke up once more.

"Actually, I just realized something. If she's the kind of doctor who gets sketchy rumors like that, maybe she'll help us out. She's somewhere in the neighborhood, right? Take me to her." Morgana said as Ren rolled his eyes.

"You do realize she probably can't even understand you in your current form, right Morgana?" Ren said to Morgana who shrugged as the duo looked for the clinic. After a short walk, the duo found the clinic as Morgana spoke up once more.

"This is the clinic that the chief mentioned. Now, how can we get them to give us some medicine?' Morgana asked as Ren pondered this for a moment and spoke up.

"As much as my first instinct is to say we should make something up, I got the impression that customer was one who preferred honesty to all else so maybe the truth is the way to go? After all, they say that the truth is stranger than fiction at times." Ren said. Morgana frowned as he spoke up, shaking his head disapprovingly at Ren's response.

"How do you expect normal people to understand what a Palace is!?" Morgana said as Ren rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Fine, we'll make something up. But if she gets mad and refuses to serve us, I reserve the right to blame you." Ren said to Morgana who frowned and spoke up.

"Well, I guess that's the only choice we have. And you most certainly will NOT blame me if she refuses you. YOU"re the one talking to her, after all. We'll just have to go for it. All right, let's step inside." Morgana said as Ren nodded before heading inside. Ren then walked up to the counter and cleared his throat, making the doctor behind the window look up at him and speak up in a bored-sounding voice.

"...Is this your first visit? Hm? I feel like I've seen you somewhere before..." The doctor said to Ren who shrugged as he spoke up.

"Probably at Leblanc, given I just moved to this town and kind of live there for the time being." Ren said by way of response, deciding to at least be truthful about that much. The doctor blinked and then shrugged.

"Hmm...well, whatever. So, what are you here for today?" The doctor asked Ren who stroked his chin in thought before speaking up.

"Honestly, I'm not sure how to describe it other than to say my body's been feeling lethargic. Might be because I wake up a lot with nightmares." Ren said. The doctor frowned at Ren as she looked him over before speaking up after a lengthy pause.

"...Fine. Please head to the exam room." The doctor said and Ren did as he was told. Once in there the doctor looked him over before speaking up.

"In a case like yours, it's usually just due to stress. I'm going to prescribe you some pain relievers, okay?" The doctor said before blinking and looking sheepish as she remembered an important detail.

"Actually, I still need to restock those...So let's go with sleeping pills instead. Sleep is the best medicine anyway. Which type of pill do you want, a sweet-tasting one or a bitter one?" The doctor asked Ren who thought about it before speaking up.

"I'm not that picky. I'll take whichever you have." Ren said. The doctor looked at Ren before speaking up with a smirk on her face.

"How about a stinky one, then?" The doctor said before chuckling at Ren's expression as she spoke up once more.

"Just kidding, there's no such pill. All right, why don't we stop beating around the bush..." The doctor said, confusing Ren who blinked and made the doctor chuckle as she spoke up again, amused at Ren's confused expression.

"You're not sick at all, are you? I'm not as dumb as I look, you know. ...I'm guessing you're here because you heard the rumors about me, huh?" The doctor said before Ren blinked at this and then shrugged as he spoke up.

"Eh, ya got me. That's right. But I was also advised this was a decent place to buy medicinal supplies." Ren said. The doctor blinked at Ren's honesty before shrugging as she spoke up once more, not really surprised.

"You're one of those patients with an ulterior motive, huh? What's the world coming to? I guess high school kids have it tough nowadays too, huh? Well, fine. I'll prescribe you some medication. But, ONLY medication that will recover your health. I guess it's fine. You seem pretty earnest, and you don't look like you'll be any trouble." The doctor said to Ren who blinked at her words but nodded, prompting the doctor to keep speaking.

"This is my private practice. All the medicine I dispense is original. I have a license to make my own formulas. You've likely seen them being sold at various hospitals. It's your responsibility to take care of yourself. So if that's okay with you, stop by anytime." The doctor said as Ren chuckled as he spoke up eventually.

"That'll really help. Thanks, doctor." Ren said as the doctor smiled before speaking up again.

"Great. It's nice that you're so quick on the uptake... Saves me the hassle. You're a pretty weird kid, you know? I wonder what you're going to use the medicine for...Well, as long as you don't cause me any trouble, it's not my problem...This is all I've got right now." The doctor said as Ren perused the doctor's inventory before buying two Revivadrins figuring revival items would be the most useful thing to have, plus it was all he could reasonably afford with his current funds. The doctor thanked him as he left, but not before he saw another customer walk into the exam room as Ren left, making him frown and decide to eavesdrop on the patient.

"...What's the reason for your visit?" The doctor could be heard asking. She then could be heard speaking in her usual bored-sounding voice.

"Do you have a cold? Stomachache? Athlete's foot? Whatever it is, you'll have to take a number..." The doctor's voice said before Ren heard a different voice speaking.

"...Enough of this! You're the only one who could've developed that type of medicine." The male-sounding voice accused the doctor who sighed and spoke up.

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about..." The doctor tried to deny but the male-sounding voice was having none of it.

"Don't play dumb with me. Rumor has it, it's a drug so potent it can give a person unlimited power." The male-sounding voice said.

"Really? That's news to me." The doctor said. Ren frowned as he kept listening.

"Developing experimental drugs, medicine, and herbal remedies violates all health regulations. Are you attempting to create a super-stimulant? A drug like that will only become a social issue." The male-sounding voice insisted. The doctor frowned.

"You're really persistent, you know that? I'm just a quack..." The doctor replied but the male-sounding voice wasn't finished.

"The police may not be taking action, but I imagine the media will soon pick up on it. You intend to ruin my reputation again, huh? You're a disgrace to the medical community." The male-sounding voice threatened huffily. The doctor huffed.

"...Tsk!" The doctor said as the male-sounding voice kept speaking.

"What's with the look? That was your mistake, was it not? I won't be responsible for your criminal actions. Dispose of that 'medicine' immediately or resign. The name 'Tae Takemi' will never-Hey, is somebody there!?" The male-sounding voice said as Ren blanched at what he'd heard and left in a hurry. Once outside, Morgana spoke up.

"Man! Geez, they almost caught us. Sounded like they were talking about something dangerous. Could that woman be hiding some extra strong medicine?" Morgana asked as Ren shrugged as he spoke up with an uncertain look on his face as he spoke.

"Seems sketchy to me. Besides, didn't we accomplish our goal? She agreed to give us medicine. And I do believe that was what you intended to accomplish here, was it not Morgana?" Ren replied. Morgana nodded his acceptance of Ren's point.

"Maybe, but it could come in handy at the Palace. Let's get that woman to cooperate with us. All right, let's come back when that man isn't here. We shouldn't involve people who have nothing to do with this. Keep the Phantom Thieves a secret, okay?" Morgana said to Ren who nodded as Morgana kept speaking.

"Anyways, great work! That went really well!" Morgana said as Ren's phone went off to signal a group chat from Ryuji.

"So you know that store I mentioned, with the model guns? It's in Shibuya. I can go with you if you want." Ryuji sent as Ren read the message, sending one of his own.

"Didn't Kusa and Ann look into that already? I thought that was the role they gave themselves?" Ren sent, as Ryuji sent another response.

"It was, until Ann suggested Kusa help her look up his desk partner. Probably so they can confirm if she is in fact that girl Kusa said you fell for on the train if I had to guess." Ryuji sent as Ren frowned on reading that response before looking at Morgana who just looked at Ren with a nod as if to say he was okay with whatever Ren decided, making Ren reach a decision and send a response.

"Well, isn't that nice of Kusa and Ann to meddle in my love life. Remind me to 'thank' them next chance I get. That said, if you want to go there with me, sounds good Ryuji." Ren sent. Ryuji sent another response.

"Sweet. Welp, let's figure out where to meet. You at least know how to get to Shibuya Station, yeah?" Ryuji sent as Ann chose that moment to send a response.

"Hey, I can't make it. Can I trust you guys to check the place out for me?" Ann sent as Ryuji quickly sent a response.

"You can't come?" Ryuji sent. Ann sent another response not long after.

"Not tomorrow. I made plans to go see Shiho in the hospital. Kusa offered to escort me so I didn't run into any trouble on the way but I told him I can handle myself." Ann sent. After a bit Kusa eventually sent a response of his own.

"I know you can handle yourself, Ann. I was just trying to be a considerate teammate, that's all. But it's just as well you turned me down. As it turns out, you were right about my desk partner's name. That said, I'll try to meet you and Ryuji at the place Ren." Kusa sent. Ryuji nodded as he sent a response.

"Ah, gotcha Ann. And cool that you're at least able to come, Kusa. Probably better this way, since this gives Ann some alone time with Shiho, maybe so she can sort out her feelings for her?" Ryuji said, causing Ren, Ann AND Kusa's eyes to all simultaneously go wide at what Ryuji had sent.

"Did you REALLY just send that, Ryuji!? Either way, I'm glad I'm not you right now since Ann's probably PISSED! But for what it's worth, I think she and Shiho would be cute together, if they swing that way. I'm not judging them either way, since that's their own decisions to make and I support them either way." Kusa sent.

"First of all Ryuji, why in all the different hells would you send that on a group chat of all things!? You do realize Ann is in this chat, right? Secondly, please don't kill Ryuji, Ann. We need him alive to stop Kamoshida. Once that's done, if you want to tear him limb from limb, go for it since he deserves it for this. I'm sure even Morgana agrees with me." Ren sent. After a bit, Ann finally replied, her reply oddly subdued in tone.

"Honestly? I do like Shiho. But I don't know if now of all times is the time to confess that to her given what she likely just went through because of that depraved bastard Kamoshida! But no, I'm not mad at Ryuji for what he sent. But next time, fact-check your sources before believing rumors! Also, if I do decide to confess to Shiho, consider that motivation to talk to that red-headed crush of yours, Ren. Maybe we can double date if you talk to her fast enough?" Ann sent, making Ryuji and Kusa both laugh at Ann's response, as the former sent another response.

"Right, gotcha. My bad, Ann. I didn't mean to put you on blast like that. I'm sorry. But don't worry, we got this. Well, seeya in Shibuya, Ren! I'll be waiting in front of the station! You too, Kusa, if you can make it!" Ryuji sent. Ren rolled his eyes at Ann's last response, sending a response of his own.

"Gotcha, Ryuji. I'll be there when I can. And Ann, kindly butt out of my love life! If you do decide to make a move on Shiho, best of luck to you two, but I'll be the one to decide when I speak to that girl, not any of you. And Kusa, if you're talking to her, do NOT tell her I like her. I think that should come directly from me, when I'm ready to tell her." Ren said right as Kusa sent a response.

"Gotcha! Oh wait shoot, Yoshizawa-san's waving at me! I'd better see what she wants! I'll probably catch up to you guys after I talk to her. See ya in Shibuya!" Kusa sent, putting his phone away without seeing Ren's response. Ren also put his phone away. After he did so, Morgana spoke up once more, his voice vaguely excited.

"We might be able to get our hands on some decent stuff if this store really has model guns. Well, we can leave that for tomorrow. Let's go home!" Morgana said to Ren who nodded as he went back to Leblanc, where surprisingly Kusa wasn't there when Ren got back, so he went upstairs to wait for him. Morgana then spoke up again.

"It's going smoothly so far. Once we're prepared, let's take on the palace. That's where the real fun starts, got it?" Morgana said to Ren who nodded.

"Got it, Morgana." Ren said, as right at that moment, Kusa walked up the stairs.

"Sorry I'm back so late Ren, was talking to Yoshizawa-san. As it turns out, she's quite interested in you. She said she wouldn't mind hanging out with you sometime when the opportunity presents itself, so I'd say you have a shot with her bro. And don't worry, I saw your message and kept your crush on her out of the conversation." Kusa said reassuringly to Ren who smiled at Kusa, nodding gratefully as he spoke up.

"Cool. Thanks for that, Kusa. And sorry if my responses came off a bit dickish earlier. Morgana and I had a bit of a dicey encounter when we went to see that doctor, but we got what we needed. She's going to give me medicines so I can stock up on healing supplies for the group. So that's at least that done successfully." Ren said as Kusa nodded.

"No big deal, Ren. I was being kind of an instigator before, and I apologize for it. But sometimes there's no better way to face your fears than a metaphoric boot to your ass to get you moving. That being said, did Ren treat you well, Morgana-sensei?" Kusa asked Morgana who nodded.

"Oh yeah, he was quite good to me, even if he was a bit snarky with his responses." Morgana said making Kusa laugh.

"I can see that. For all that Ren likes to paint me as the snark king, he's the real snark lord out of the two of us." Kusa said with a smirk. Morgana chuckled.

"That makes sense. I can't believe Lady Ann was so composed and graceful about what Ryuji sent about her and Shiho earlier." Morgana said as Kusa nodded.

"Agreed. I honestly thought I was going to have to step in to keep Ann from verbally dismantling Ryuji for a second there. Not that he wouldn't have deserved it, but still, he is our teammate and all." Kusa said as both Ren and Morgana nodded.

"That's very true. I suppose we should get to bed since we've got stuff to do tomorrow." Ren said to Kusa who nodded his agreement as Morgana spoke up.

"I agree. After all, a Phantom Thief is only as good as their sleep schedule." Morgana said as Ren and Kusa nodded, laying on their respective sleeping areas and getting comfy. The two then laid down and fell asleep almost instantly...

(The next day in Shibuya with Ryuji, Kusa, Morgana and Ren, neutral POV)

"Sup? Looks like you made it. The shop's on Central Street, so we gotta go through the Crossing to get there!" Ryuji said as Ren frowned and spoke up.

"The Crossing? Is that a walkway I'm unaware of?" Ren asked as Kusa shrugged, for once as stumped as Ren was. Ryuji chuckled as he spoke up.

"That's what we call the Shibuya Crossing. It's this huge intersection with people crossin' the street from every direction. Once we get past that, we'll pretty much be at Central Street. Alright, let's get goin'!" Ryuji said as Ren and Kusa nodded. As they made to round the corner, they walked into a guy giving a speech to a crowd.

"Everyone, wake up! This country is twisted! While Japanese society may appear to be thriving, many young people have not been as blessed as their elders. They have no jobs, no savings, no financial security whatsoever...These young people should be facing their futures head-on, but instead, they're too busy merely trying to survive." The guy, who reminded Ren and Kusa vaguely of an orator for some reason, said to the crowd as Ryuji huffed and spoke up.

"Eh, people give speeches all the time. Plus, politics are pretty boring anyways." Ryuji said as the group kept moving. Eventually, they reached Central Street, where Ryuji spoke up while looking at Ren and Kusa.

"Follow me. The shop can be pretty confusin' to find sometimes." Ryuji said as Ren, Kusa and Morgana followed him. After a bit Ryuji spoke up.

"Hey, it's this way!" Ryuji said as he led the others to a store in a back alley and looked at Ren, Kusa and Morgana before speaking up.

"This is it. Pretty legit, huh?" Ryuji said to Ren and Kusa who spoke up, the latter speaking before the former.

"This place looks sketchy." Kusa said skeptically as Ren shrugged before speaking up.

"Perhaps, but it's also kind of exciting. After all, not everyday we get to look at model guns, yeah?" Ren said as Kusa rolled his eyes.

"Right, I forgot you're a lowkey gun enthusiast, Ren. Try to keep it in check here, yeah? We're just looking for equipment for the group." Kusa reminded Ren.

"I know, I know." Ren said to Kusa. Ryuji blinked at Ren before speaking up in surprise.

"Oh, are you into this sorta military stuff?" Ryuji asked. Kusa laughed as he spoke up at that point.

"That's putting it mildly, Ryuji. Don't even get me started on all the times Ren went off paintballing, only to end up bringing back some form of model weapon as well somehow. I never asked because I didn't want to know the answer to how he got them then, and I still don't wanna know to this day." Kusa said as he rolled his eyes. Ryuji chuckled as he spoke up once more, smirking at Kusa's annoyed reaction while he spoke.

"I see. Sorry I asked then. Anyways, let's check out what's inside." Ryuji said as Ren frowned at Kusa.

"I'll deal with you later for mentioning that in front of Ryuji." Ren threatened Kusa who smirked as he spoke up.

"Go ahead dear brother, but you do know what paybacks are? Or did you forget just WHO my desk partner at school is?" Kusa said with a smirk. Ren frowned and huffed.

"Fine, I won't deal with you later. Now let's get in there." Ren said huffily, ignoring the chuckling from his bag that he was sure was coming from Morgana as well as Ryuji's laughter from the front of the group as they went inside. As the group went to go inside, Ryuji spoke up.

"Oh yeah, before we head in...you know anything about guns and shit?" Ryuji asked as Ren spoke up at that point.

"Only what little I could get from the gun shops back home, which wasn't much since they were rather leery about letting minors look at the guns. But I do know a bit, yes." Ren said as Kusa spoke up with a shrug.

"Nah, I don't know very much about guns unfortunately. I was always more of a bo staff and throwing knives sort of guy myself." Kusa said with a smirk, enjoying the wide-eyed look on Ryuji's face at his remark.

"You've messed around with throwing knives before!? Dude, that's totally badass!" Ryuji said in awe and respect. He then shrugged and kept speaking.

"I guess we can just ask the guy behind the counter if we can't figure out what we want. C'mon, let's do this." Ryuji said as Ren and Kusa nodded before they went into the shop, which according to the sign was called 'Untouchable', making Kusa chuckle at the reference to The Untouchables, finding it ironic. The shopkeeper, a surly-looking man, looked up at Ren as he approached the counter and spoke up in a gruff-sounding voice.

"You know what you want yet?" The shopkeeper asked as Ren nodded.

"I was told this shop deals in high-grade model weapons, so I figured I'd take a look at what you have on offer, see if anything catches my fancy. Besides, if your wares are half as good as the ones I've seen in other shops, I'm sure I'll be very satisfied with what you have on offer." Ren said with a smirk. The shopkeeper smirked before speaking up again, noticing Ryuji and Kusa by the door.

"You guys lookin' for recommendations? ...I dunno, just buy whatever looks interestin' to you." The shopkeeper said. Ryuji huffed as he spoke up.

"Ugh, some customer service..." Ryuji said as Kusa laughed before speaking up.

"Patience, Ryuji. Not everyone is a people person, after all. That said, hopefully this place has model throwing knives as well since I'm not sure what sort of gun I'd get otherwise." Kusa said to Ryuji who nodded his understanding. The manager sighed as he glared at Ryuji before setting down his magazine and looking at the group.

"Fine...whaddya want? An automatic? A revolver?" The manager asked as Ryuji frowned at what the manager said, speaking up in confusion.

"Uh, automatic...? Dude, why're you talking about cars now!?" Ryuji asked, making Ren groan under his breath at how naive Ryuji was coming off as before he spoke up.

"Those are types of guns, Ryuji. I at least know that much. Granted, I'm pretty sure you're more of a shotgun guy looking at you." Ren said. The manager shook his head.

"Listen, this here's an enthusiast shop. My regulars'll be mad if I let a casual like you hang around." The manager said as Ryuji frowned before speaking up angrily.

"I'm not a freakin' casual! I bought shit from here like, last week!" Ryuji snapped as the shopkeeper shook his head.

"Huh, can't remember you." The shopkeeper said as Ryuji hung his head and grumbled as he spoke up.

"Ugh, you bastard..." Ryuji huffed, as Kusa gave Ryuji a wide-eyed look at his language, but the manager laughed it off as he looked at Ren.

"And you? Lookin' for somethin'?" The shopkeeper asked Ren who nodded as he spoke up.

"As a matter of fact, I am. I'm looking for a fancy model gun. Preferably something that looks real. I'd explain what I need it for, but it's a pretty long story and I doubt you have the kind of time to hear all the details given the fact you run a business." Ren said, as Kusa chuckled at how Ren was speaking to the manager. The manager looked at Ren with intrigue as he spoke up.

"Oh? You a collector? Heh, you're way more interesting than blondie over there." The manager said as Kusa had to keep himself from laughing at the manager calling Ryuji Blondie, since it reminded him of when Morgana called Ryuji Blondie. Ryuji then huffed angrily as he spoke up again, not happy at being called blondie.

"Oh, shut it!" Ryuji huffed angrily as the manager looked at Ren and Kusa, much more interested.

"Anyways... you shoulda said before you two're enthusiasts. I'm always up for helpin' fresh faces. And to what you said earlier, yes we carry model knives. We do get people like you who prefer throwing knives to guns every so often." The manager said, aiming the latter part of his statement at Kusa while speaking to him and Ren. The manager pulled out a case and opened it, speaking up again.

"Some precautions first though. Don't go 'round pointing 'em at other people. Keep 'em in a bag or somethin' if you're outside. Oh, and don't let the fuzz catch wind of you having 'em. I don't need them comin' around here." The manager said as Ren nodded while speaking up.

"Gotcha. We'll be careful, promise. " Ren said honestly. The manager shook his head as he spoke up, not entirely convinced by Ren's response but letting it slide.

"You damn well better be. Now, if you look close, you'll be able to tell these're models. Real guns fell... different. Maybe someday I'll show you the real good stuff though-if you got the guts for it of course." The manager said as he stood up, speaking up once more as he looked at Ren and Kusa

"But for now, you get the beginner selection. Just sit tight, I'll bring 'em out." The manager said as he walked off, Ryuji chuckling and speaking up as the owner walked into the back.

"Heh, we did it, dude. We totally gotta go for some fancy shit, right? Ooh, I want 'em to shine!" Ryuji said as Kusa scoffed before speaking up.

"Of course you do, Ryuji. And I suppose next you'll be wanting a shiny grill to go with your shiny toys?" Kusa deadpanned, making Morgana chuckle from inside Ren's bag at Kusa's wit. Ryuji rolled his eyes as he spoke up again.

"Very funny, Kusa. Oh, and here's the cash for me, Ren. Pick me out something good!" Ryuji said, handing Ren 5,000 yen. Ren nodded as he pocketed the yen. At that point, the owner brought out the selection, Ren eventually buying weapons for himself, Ryuji and Kusa, the latter picking out some practical but cheap model throwing knives that had near-perfect accuracy as Kusa considered himself quite the crack shot. After ringing up the purchases, the owner looked at Ren and Kusa.

"Oh yeah. There's somethin' you should know. I don't buy off any model guns from other people, so keep that in mind. I don't wanna deal with any problems buyin' somethin' that's already been modified. And that's all I gotta say." The manager said as Ren and Kusa nodded, the former heading to the door to leave the shop. Ryuji blinked at this.

"You headin' home already? Anyways, I'll have you do the choosin' from now on. Get me the strongest-lookin' one!" Ryuji said to Ren and Kusa who nodded before heading back to Leblanc, where they heard a customer speaking to Sojiro as they walked in.

"Boss, did you hear? Apparently that subway driver from the accident was acting really odd during his testimony hearing." The customer said to Sojiro who huffed and crossed his arms as he glared while speaking up.

"You talking about that psychotic whatever thing people're going on about?" Sojiro asked as the customer nodded.

"Yeah, I heard it completely alters your personality. The news is saying the driver couldn't even speak when they tried asking him questions." The customer said as Sojiro huffed and spoke up.

"Only an idiot'd believe a preposterous story like that. Oh and sorry, but we're closing soon." Sojiro said as the customer huffed and spoke up angrily.

"Hmph, how rude. This must be why you don't get many customers." The customer said as Kusa huffed before speaking up.

"Or maybe he's this rude because you bring up topics that he's not interested in hearing about, but he's too kind and polite to say so." Kusa pointed out, coming to Sojiro's defense, to both Ren and Sojiro's surprise. The customer huffed as he frowned at Kusa.

"Whatever you say, kid." The customer snapped at Kusa before turning to Sojiro as he kept speaking.

"Your coffee's actually not half bad. The beans must be lamenting the sorry state of this store..." The customer said as Kusa frowned at them before getting ready to speak up again, only for Sojiro to see this and speak up before Kusa could yell at the customer.

"Thanks for stopping in. Please come again." Sojiro said pointedly as the customer huffed as they stood to leave.

"Hmph, I'm only trying to help you fix your business. Thanks for the coffee, at least." The customer said as he left. After he was gone, Sojiro looked at Ren and Kusa as he spoke up once more.

"Sheesh, what a pain...Oh.. What do you want? If you're bored, go wash some dishes or something." Sojiro said a bit irritably, which Kusa shook off while Ren frowned as he spoke up.

"Nah, I'm good. I suppose for the sake of being polite though, how's business Sakura-san?" Ren asked, at least trying to be polite as Sojiro huffed and spoke up.

"Doesn't concern you. And Kusa, thank you for speaking up for me, but I can handle myself. I appreciate the assist though." Sojiro said as Kusa nodded.

"Not a problem Sakura-san, you were nice enough to let us use your attic to live in, so the least we can do is have your back if you need us to. But if you'd rather we not nose into your business, we'll respect that as well." Kusa said sincerely. Sojiro smiled as he nodded to Kusa's words.

"Fair enough. It's all good as long as the shop doesn't fail. I'm not gonna go wearing a fake smile." Sojiro said as Ren nodded before speaking up.

"Is that a motto of yours?" Ren asked, deciding not to ask about the eventual instance of the shop failing. Sojiro chuckled as he answered Ren.

"No, it's nothing like that." Sojiro said as he stroked his beard in thought before speaking up once more.

"As long as I'm here, the world leaves me be. No annoyances or troublesome people to deal with. It's like my own personal hideaway. I'd be kinda screwed if I lost it, but I guess you would be too. So, you better at least try to be useful around here, both of you." Sojiro said. Ren nodded as Kusa spoke up.

"Got it, Sakura-san. We'll try to do more around here when we can. That's only fair that we help out around here since you let us live here, after all." Kusa said agreeably as Sojiro nodded approvingly.

"Well said. Anyway, I'm leaving now. Don't cause any trouble." Sojiro said as Ren and Kusa nodded before heading upstairs, right as Ren's phone went off to signify a text from Ann. Kusa decided to take Morgana downstairs after making sure Sojiro was already out the door and gone so the two could talk business while Ren texted Ann.

"So, I went to see Shiho in the hospital..." Ann sent as Ren blinked at the message before sending a response of his own.

"Ah right, that was today. I remember that now. Anyways, how'd it go? Did you talk to her?" Ren sent, only having to wait a short time before Ann sent a response.

"Her condition is stable. They don't know when she'll regain consciousness though." Ann sent as Ren frowned at her response before sending one of his own.

"That's scary to hear...but I have faith she'll pull through. But more importantly, how're you holding up now that you know that about her?" Ren sent. Ann blinked at Ren's response before sending one of her own.

"Yeah. She'll get better, I know it. She has to, if for no other reason than I can tell her how much she means to me and maybe even how I feel about her. I need to believe in her. But...I'll never forgive Kamoshida. He's going to pay for what he did, no matter what." Ann sent, making Ren's eyes widen at how angry Ann's last message sounded. He then sent a message of his own.

"Don't worry, Ann, we're all behind you 100%. We'll see to it Kamoshida answers for his crimes, each and every one of them. We'll get justice for all those he's hurt. Trust us on that. And I hope Shiho gets better soon." Ren sent, making Ann smile as she saw his response, sending one more response with a smile on her face.

"Ren...thank you so much. I agree, and I believe in all of us. We're going to bring Kamoshida down, as a team! See you later!" Ann sent as Ren put his phone away, right as Kusa and Morgana came upstairs, and the latter spoke up to Ren.

"We're just about ready to go to the Palace. We just need to assemble some infiltration tools. Clean off that desk back there so we can use it." Morgana said as Ren nodded before doing as he was told. Morgana smiled as Ren walked to the desk.

"That desk. Let's hurry now and clean it up." Morgana said as Ren nodded. Once the desk was cleaned, Morgana spoke up once more.

"Great, now you can make things whenever you want!" Morgana said as Ren sat at the desk, Morgana smirking as he sat on the desk next to Ren and spoke up.

"I'll provide the materials this time. Try making a Lockpick." Morgana said. Kusa smirked as he spoke up.

"Ren, making something? This I have to see." Kusa said as he sat on the arm of the sofa so he could get a good view of Ren's workspace. Morgana nodded and spoke up.

"Don't think too hard about it. You'll get the hang of it." Morgana said as Ren nodded, starting to go about making the Lockpick Morgana asked for. Morgana looked at Ren and spoke up encouragingly.

"Everyone starts off a little clumsy. Don't be sad if it doesn't go well at first, okay?" Morgana said to Ren who nodded as he attempted to make the Lockpick, and succeeded at it too, to both Kusa and Morgana's approval. Morgana nodded approvingly at the finished product.

"Great! We should be able to use this." Morgana said as Ren nodded, pumping a fist as he felt his Proficiency improve with his successful crafting attempt. Morgana spoke up once more as he smiled at Ren.

"We should be ready now. We're heading into the Palace tomorrow. Let's get some sleep." Morgana said as Ren and Kusa nodded, both going to bed...

(The next day, in front of the school with Ren, Kusa and Morgana, neutral POV)

"Good morning. C'mon hurry up and get to class!" Ren and Kusa heard Kamoshida saying, making them frown as they walked up to the school. Kamoshida turned to face the two as they approached and spoke up.

"Good morning." Kamoshida said as Ren huffed at Kamoshida but spoke up.

"Good morning, Mister Kamoshida." Ren said, deciding to at least try to be polite with Kamoshida even if he wanted to punch him. Kamoshida stopped Ren as he went to go into the school and spoke up with a taunting edge in his tone.

"That admirable behavior won't do you or your brother or Sakamoto any good once the lot of you are expelled." Kamoshida threatened Ren and Kusa, who frowned as they went to class...

(In Ren's class with Ren and Morgana, neutral POV)

"Well, that wraps up the homeroom period." Kawakami said as she looked at Ren who blinked but looked at Kawakami as she spoke up.

"Oh, and Amamiya-kun. A word with you, please?" Kawakami said to Ren who nodded as he followed Kawakami out of the class when she stopped him and spoke up.

"There's something I'd like to ask you. It won't take long." Kawakami said, right as a nearby door opened and out walked Kamoshida, but to Ren's surprise, not only was Kamoshida not alone, but with him was none other than the red-headed girl he'd helped on the train, who was apparently Kusa's desk partner. A man in a suit exited behind the red-haired girl as Kamoshida spoke up to Kawakami.

"I see you're already getting on top of the problem I'd mentioned this morning, Miss Kawakami! I appreciate the support." Kamoshida said as the red-headed girl then spoke up, though whether she was speaking to Ren or to Kawakami, Ren wasn't sure.

"Thank you again." The red-haired girl said, making Ren blink as he realized she was looking at him as she spoke, making him nod though Kamoshida spoke up before he could reply to her at all, looking at the red-haired girl as he spoke up, making Ren frown as Kamoshida spoke.

"Oh, you know this guy, Yoshizawa?" Kamoshida asked the apparently now-named Yoshizawa, unintentionally confirming that this girl was the same one Ann had mentioned before during a recent group text, who nodded as she looked at Kamoshida and spoke up.

"Yes, he lent me a helping hand earlier." Yoshizawa said with a smile as Kamoshida frowned, shaking his head in disappointment before speaking up in disbelief.

"I recommend you steer clear of the likes of him if you have any consideration for your future. Remember the discussion we just had? There are a number of students in this school you shouldn't get involved with...This one's at the top of the list." Kamoshida said as Ren frowned at Kamoshida's tone, feeling Morgana growling in his bag. Yoshizawa blinked as she spoke up, looking at Ren in surprise as she spoke up.

"Oh, the delinquent transfer student...?" Yoshizawa asked, her tone one of deep skepticism, almost conveying that she didn't believe the rumors about Ren, making him actually smile softly at Yoshizawa but not say anything. Kawakami frowned as she then spoke up.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to use the guidance office." Kawakami said as Kamoshida blinked before nodding as he spoke up.

"Oh, pardon me. We should be going too- don't want to get in the way of guiding this delinquent and all." Kamoshida said as the man in the suit followed him when he walked off, Yoshizawa lingering long enough to speak up to Ren one more time.

"Please excuse us." Yoshizawa said as she gave Ren an almost apologetic look before bowing and walking off, making Ren smile as he watched Yoshizawa walk off. Kawakami then cleared her throat as she spoke up.

"After you." Kawakami said as she followed Ren into the guidance office. Once inside, Kawakami spoke up with a frown.

"I'm going to get straight to the point: did something happen between you and Mister Kamoshida?" Kawakami asked as Ren sighed but nodded.

"Yeah, some things happened and I found myself in his office trying to keep Ryuji from punching Mister Kamoshida when he said some things to provoke him. Kusa and Mishima happened to be with me at the time so they wound up involved as well. Why do you ask?" Ren said honestly. Kawakami frowned as she spoke up.

"Well, there was that little exchange just now, but that's not all...He gave me a brief lecture this morning, and your name came up. Something about the dangers of a lack of supervision...I don't mean to pry, but...Just make sure you don't go causing trouble, okay?" Kawakami asked Ren who nodded. Kawakami then spoke up once more.

"Oh, and one more thing. That girl outside the office- you didn't make a pass at her, did you?" Kawakami asked Ren who huffed, annoyed at the question.

"Absolutely not, Miss Kawakami. She is cute, but our interactions only extend as far as me helping her out once on a train when she tried to offer her seat to an elderly woman, only for some scumbag to take the seat instead at the last second, which was when I offered to speak to the guy on Yoshizawa's behalf, but she declined saying she understood the guy's position as well. Besides, even if I wanted to make a pass at her, I highly doubt she even likes me that way, especially if she's been spending time with Mister Kamoshida." Ren said huffily. Kawakami nodded.

"All right. Mister Kamoshida has a real close eye on you. Apparently you've been getting involved with Sakamoto-kun. You seem acquainted with Yoshizawa-san as well." Kawakami said as Ren chuckled.

"As I said, Sakamoto helped me and Kusa find our way to school that first day so we ended up befriending him after that. He's really a good guy when you get to know him. Not that he does a good job of showing that at school, I'm sure. As for Yoshizawa-san, she happens to be in my brother Kusa's class, plus I helped her out the once on the train so of course we'd be friends of a sort after that." Ren said as Kawakami nodded, speaking up.

"I see. Maybe you're just naturally drawn to athletes?" Kawakami joked. Ren frowned.

"If that were the case, then Kusa would be an athlete as well, but I know better than anyone Kusa's not the least bit interested in athletics. He's much more of the quiet academic bookworm sort, or the gaming sort on occasion." Ren said with a shrug as Kawakami nodded, speaking up once more.

"Sorry, bad joke. That's all I wanted to discuss. You're free to go." Kawakami said as Ren nodded before heading back to class.

(Back in class with Ren and Morgana)

Ren was listening to class when his phone went off to signal a group text from Ryuji. He pulled it out to read the text.

"So I saw Kamoshida at the school gate this morning." Ryuji sent. Kusa and Ren both sent responses practically immediately.

"You're not alone, Ryuji. Ren and I saw the bastard at the gate too. I almost punched his lights out when he basically taunted Ren about how he was gonna expel the three of us and Mishima." Kusa sent at the same time Ren sent his own response.

"Indeed. And as if that's not enough, I saw him again when I was being led to the guidance office by Kawakami after homeroom. Apparently he was having a private word with your desk partner, who by the way I can confirm is indeed the same Yoshizawa-san that Ann was talking about before since I saw her too." Ren sent. Ryuji gaped as he sent a response.

"Oh, for real!? That son of a bitch! He better not be trying to sink his dirty claws into Yoshizawa-san now that Shiho's not around for him to prey on. Anyways, he was just standing there with this shit-eating grin on his face." Ryuji sent as Ann frowned before sending a response of her own.

"Ugh, that's annoying...he was probably mocking you. Also, so you saw your crush then Ren!? Did you talk to her?" Ann sent, smirking as she got Ren back for when he asked the same of her the night before.

"Knowing my brother, probably not that much if he did talk to her at all, but to be fair if that shitbag Kamoshida was with her, likely he wouldn't have had much of a chance, especially if Kawakami was also there. Screw that asshole anyways. He tries anything with Yoshizawa, and they'll have to find the pieces of Kamoshida by the time Ren and I get through with him." Kusa sent huffily making Ren smirk.

"Get in line, Kusa. I get first dibs if we're messing him up. That said, honestly? Seeing that got me even more fired up about this." Ryuji sent.

"Fair enough, though I feel like Ren will have hunted him down long before you get dibs, Ryuji. Sorry for the dark turn that took by the way, Ann. I shouldn't be so crude and violent in front of a lady. Morgana-sensei would most certainly not approve." Kusa sent as Morgana nodded approvingly from Ren's bag.

"It's all good, Kusa. I get it. You're livid with Kamoshida, and rightly so. But relax, we're definitely gonna pull this off." Ryuji sent.

"Don't apologize, Kusa. I get you're protective of Yoshizawa, since she's your brother's crush and all. And I understand totally. Honestly, I'm the same way because he went after Shiho already. So I get how you feel. But yeah, I'm worried about Shiho, but I want to concentrate on our operation too." Ann sent.

"Well well, looks like someone's fired up this time!" Ryuji sent. Ann chuckled at that before sending another response.

"And I won't let myself get exhausted this time." Ann sent. After a bit, Kusa and Ren sent responses.

"Understood, Ann. We've got your back." Ren sent. Kusa then sent his response.

"Don't worry so much, Ann. We'll all pace ourselves a bit more this time. After all, I'm sure Morgana-sensei would agree with me that a thief is not any good if they wear themselves out too quickly. Besides, we want Kamoshida to atone for what he did, but not before we get to vent our anger on his Shadow just a bit." Kusa sent as Ryuji grinned before sending a response of his own.

"Hell yeah, Kusa! I want a piece of that when it happens! That said, the board meeting's May 2nd, right? We just gotta take care of him before then." Ryuji sent. Ren frowned as he sent another response of his own.

"As much as I want to tell you AND Kusa to be patient since we'll deal with him soon enough, after what he said about me in front of Yoshizawa, I actually quite agree with you guys. No one calls me a piece of delinquent trash and makes Yoshizawa call me 'that delinquent transfer student', her exact words by the way, and gets away with it! I'm ready for this and my mind is made up. Kamoshida is going down!" Ren sent as Kusa, Ryuji and Ann all smirked as they sent responses pretty close together.

"Ren, my dear deluded older brother, just admit it. You're hot for Yoshizawa. And just think, you haven't even gotten to know her that much yet. Imagine how much more smitten you might be when you do get to know her?" Kusa sent making Ann and Ryuji have to keep from laughing at the playful banter between brothers.

"Laugh it up, Kusa. Just wait until YOU finally get a crush. I'm going to enjoy busting your balls about it when that happens as much as you're busting mine right now." Ren sent.

"Okay, break it up you two. Don't make me have Morgana separate you two." Ann sent, making both Ren and Kusa huff.

"Hey, no fair bringing the cat into this Ann. They were just teasing each other a bit, that's all. You know how bros are. Also, same goes for me Ren." Ryuji sent. Morgana frowned, but before he could say anything Kusa had already sent a response.

"DAMMIT RYUJI! HE'S NOT A CAT! That said, I agree with you. That wasn't fair bringing Morgana-sensei into this, Ann. He did nothing wrong." Kusa sent, making Morgana smile at Kusa defending him so quickly.

"You're right, I'm sorry, that was unfair of me. Sorry, Morgana. Also me too! I'll do my best! No going in without me, OK?" Ann sent.

"Naturally. We're all going in there as a team. No one's leaving anyone behind. Got that, Ryuji!?" Kusa sent, making Ren chuckle.

"Easy, Kusa. Ryuji learned his lesson already about trying to keep Ann out of this. No need to keep roasting him for that. Also, by no means is anyone getting left behind." Ren sent. Ryuji sent a response at that point.

"Screw off, Kusa. I said I was sorry for that. Also yeah, you better let us know if you're going into the Palace." Ryuji sent as Ren chuckled.

"But of course, Ryuji. I wouldn't dream of going in without you guys. If nothing else, Morgana would have both my head AND Kusa's if I tried even thinking of it." Ren sent.

"I hate that you're actually right about that. But that does sound like something Morgana-sensei would do." Kusa sent.

"Anyways, see you all when it's time for the Palace!" Ren sent as he put his phone away. After school, Morgana spoke to Ren.

"It's finally time to set the plan in motion. I bet the others are ready to go and waiting on the signal. Well, I'll leave the planning to you." Morgana said as Ren nodded. He then waited for Morgana to get into the bag before he went about planning the start of the infiltration of Kamoshida's Palace...

END OF CHAPTER

A/N: And boom, down goes another chapter! I know, I know, not much of Kamoshida's Palace was in this chapter, but a lot of other stuff was covered, like Ann's awakening, some new Confidants being formed (Ann and Morgana) and lots of Phantom Thief interaction as well as an unexpected appearance by Yoshizawa! Got quite a bit in here! And next chapter will probably be more lead-in and the infiltration of Kamoshida's Palace! Look forward to it! But real quick, let me clear up a couple of things. Firstly, I might as well confirm again here that RenxSumire will 1000% be a pairing in this story even if it's a lot slower-burn than I'm used to doing for a pairing, but the story necessitates it!

As for the subject of other pairings, I might as well just say at this point that I'm leaning towards pairing Ann with Shiho (because why not and they're cute together!), Kusa with most likely Futaba (because again I could see them working), and more than likely Ryuji with Makoto, though other than RenxSumire, no pairing is set in stone as yet. After all, I'm still undecided on who I'm going to pair Yusuke, Haru and others with.

I am open to reader input on those pairings, so if you have a certain pairing that you think would be really good, by all means suggest it either in the reviews or via PM and I'll at least consider it (as long as it's not guyxguy since I unfortunately do not write guyxguy pairings very well and wouldn't be able to do that type of pairing justice unfortunately) or even just review/PM with your thoughts on the story in general. I always enjoy hearing from readers and appreciate the feedback either way. And until next update, sithlorde1988 out!