CHAPTER 18:

THE PLEA AND THE PALACE

"So, Mishima said that Nakanohara has something he wishes to discuss with the Phantom Thieves?" Futaba asked Akira later that night, after Maruki had left.

Akira nodded. "I've spoken to Mishima. However, I'm not sure it'd be wise to approach him and claim we're associates, just in case. I've sent word with Mishima asking if Nakanohara will be satisfied with a phone call, and he is. We'll contact him later. I was going to ask for your help there, Futaba. You can help make sure the call is untraceable, that he can't recognise our voices."

"Yep. That stuff is pretty basic hacker stuff, especially the former," Futaba said. "Hell, I could send you text messages in an untraceable manner if I wanted to. So, when do you wanna do it?"

"Nakanohara agreed to speak with us tomorrow afternoon. I'll bring Ryuji and Ann to Leblanc, if Sojiro's okay with it…"

The next day, the Phantom Thieves were gathered around a laptop on a table in the attic of Leblanc. Sirius was not present, due to needing to help out at Crossroads (it may have been after school rather than the evening, but he helped with deliveries and the like), but the others were. "And nobody can trace us?" Ryuji asked.

"Let's put it this way: it's impossible to absolutely guarantee that," Futaba said. "BUT, anyone who tried would be tying up mainframe usage for ages trying to figure it out. I know my stuff. Plus, this voice-changer is top of the line. I actually made it myself, albeit based on off-the-shelf software. That being said, Akira, you do the talking. Everyone else, shush."

Akira nodded, looking at his watch, before he nodded to Futaba, who dialled the number on the laptop. Eventually, the line connected, and a familiar voice spoke. "Hello? Nakanohara speaking."

"Good afternoon, Natsuhiko Nakanohara. I believe you were expecting a call from us," Akira said, pitching his own voice lower.

"What? Oh…right, yes. The Phan-Site, of course. Am I speaking to the Phantom Thieves?"

"Yes. I am their leader. I must confess, I was surprised to hear your request."

"…I suppose you are. I'm not stupid, I know of the request my former girlfriend made…and what happened afterwards," Nakanohara said. "But it has given me some much-needed perspective. And so, I ask that you change the heart of Ichiryusai Madarame."

"Why is that?"

"I was once one of his students. For a time, I lived in that hovel that masqueraded as his studio and home, thinking of nothing else but my art. I had a friend there, of immense talent, but Madarame exploited him, claiming his work as his own. He was far from the only such victim…but…" Nakanohara's voice caught in his throat.

Akira, gently, said, "We have been doing research of our own into Madarame. That friend…he was the one who committed suicide, right?"

"…Yes," Nakanohara said. "I had a blazing row with Madarame, and quit, but anyone who did quit, he blackballed, using his sway in the art world. My art career was stillborn, and so, I had to find other work. My obsession with art became unseemly, and as you know, I began stalking my former girlfriend. But now that my mind is clearer, I realised, there's still a remaining victim of Madarame."

"Yusuke Kitagawa," Akira said. "You knew him?"

"Yes. He owes Madarame a massive debt of gratitude for adopting him, and has talent that eclipsed all of us. He's the perfect cash cow for Madarame, but I fear that it will become too much for him one day, and Kitagawa may follow my friend into the grave, either through what Madarame puts him through, or by his own hand. I once asked him if staying with his teacher was too hard on him, and he told me…if he could escape, he would've done so long ago."

Akira nodded. "Don't worry, Nakanohara. We've already begun investigating Madarame. We'll avenge his students and save Yusuke Kitagawa. And maybe, once Madarame confesses, you can go back into art, do something you enjoy again…"

"So, there you have it," Akira said, leaning back as Futaba packed away the laptop. "Nakanohara has told us from Kitagawa's own mouth. Kitagawa does feel trapped by Madarame somehow."

"Couldn't we have gotten it out of him ourselves?" Ryuji asked.

"Remember, Kitagawa got defensive towards any allegations against Madarame with us," Harry pointed out. "If we pushed him too far into a corner, what might've happened?"

"Exactly. Say, I never met Harry, right?" Futaba asked. "I might have gotten you guys to give me a Change of Heart down the track, if only to stop me from attempting suicide. But I was a bloody hikikomori! Now that I know what you guys did with Kamoshida, I probably would have kept to my room, and that may have halted your progress in my Palace due to the way the cognition works! Hell, if you pushed me too far, bad shit would have happened both inside and outside my Palace. And even now, I'm a sore spot for Sojiro. Imagine getting any information about me out of him, especially with you, Akira. Even if he warmed up to you, he was paranoid about keeping me safe and comfortable."

"Exactly," Morgana said. "My first instinct was, admittedly, somewhat similar to Ryuji's thoughts on the matter, but Akira made the right call. We already had information thanks to Futaba's skill at gathering intelligence. We already had enough to take on the Palace proper thanks to what we learned, but Nakanohara's information has given us more incentive. Even if he didn't actually order the student to commit suicide, we have confirmation that Madarame doesn't care about what happened, and he's willing to use dirty means to prevent his ex-students from talking. What's more, Kitagawa's life may be in danger, either dying from mistreatment, or taking his own life."

Ann gritted her teeth at the reminder. Suicide, after all, had become a touchy topic with her after the suicide attempt of Shiho Suzui. Ryuji grimaced in his turn. "So, with our next expedition into the Palace, we push on further?" Ann asked.

Akira nodded. "If Kitagawa wants you to model for him, Ann, as long as it doesn't cross any lines, try to accept it. We want to give Madarame a minimum of suspicion, and anything that makes Kitagawa suspicious may end up inflaming Madarame's own suspicions."

Ann nodded, though she looked uncertain. "Don't get me wrong, if we stop Madarame, it's only a good thing…but will Yusuke consider it as such? I'm not sure even showing him the inside of the Palace would help, because he may be so deep in denial…"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it…or burn it, if need be. Okay, tomorrow, if nobody else has any plans, we'll enter Madarame's Palace tomorrow afternoon…"

Of course, the best-laid plans do go awry. Kitagawa messaged Ann, begging for another modelling session. Hedwig was not required, Kitagawa just wanted to ensure he captured the finer details of Ann's face. Ann agreed, and she felt confident to go alone, though Akira and Futaba cautioned her not to press him on certain issues.

Meanwhile, the others, including Sirius, made their way through the Palace at the agreed time. Unlike before, Shadows in security guard garb roamed the corridors, while laser tripwires were active. And there was a hairy incident were Morgana got a bit too attracted to a rather nice vase, only to trigger a cage of lasers that Harry and Akira had to work together to undo. Though that had a silver lining in that they learned about Treasure Demons.

After more complications, they found themselves in a courtyard of sorts before an inner chamber of the Palace. Laser tripwires were everywhere, and there was a massive door, with an elaborate pattern of peacock feathers. Akira read a notice that the door could only be unlocked from the other side.

Morgana scratched his head. "I'm not sure how we're going to get past this door. I've got a sneaking suspicion it corresponds to part of Madarame's Cognition."

Harry blinked in realisation. "Wait a moment…I think I saw that door before. It was in Madarame's shack. I only briefly noticed it while Kitagawa was escorting us around. Kitagawa only said it was a private storeroom of Madarame. I didn't press any further. Still…Oracle, any ideas?"

"I've got a few," Futaba said from Necronomicon. "I'm doing a scan, and there's nothing to prevent me from flying you guys over. The door's a major obstacle, but…well, maybe a bit of magic can help, right?"

Harry and Sirius nodded. "Whaddya mean?" Ryuji asked.

"There's an all-purpose unlocking spell," Sirius said, readying his wand. "It doesn't work against locks that have been enchanted to resist it, though. But Madarame shouldn't be aware of magic, so maybe the spell works wonders in his Palace."

"Worth a shot, I guess," Morgana said. "Oracle, use Necronomicon's tentacles to fly us over there. Once we are there, either Godric or Padfoot should use this spell, or any other spell, to try and open it. If it works, we can head through quickly, see if we can find a Safe Room so we can warp to it later. I hope using this spell won't set off any alarms, or worse. Forcing a change in Madarame's Cognition is not advisable. We want to cause a Change of Heart, not a Mental Shutdown or worse."

Futaba piloted Necronomicon over to them, and used the tentacles to pick them up, a tractor beam helping keep them in place, Akira holding onto Morgana. "Ugh, this freaks me out," Ryuji said.

"Don't Persona-shame me, Skull!" Futaba retorted.

They got close enough to try, and Sirius waved a wand. "Alohamora!"

The doors suddenly swung open, and Futaba rushed them all through…

They had to fight some Shadows, and then, they were able to disable the security permanently in a nearby security room. Even if it could be re-established, Sirius believed he could Apparate them through, or maybe use a Portkey. Though the latter in particular seemed like a bad idea within Palaces.

There didn't seem to be any Safe Rooms nearby, though. And it soon became a moot point. Because suddenly, Ann, in her Phantom Thief outfit, and Kitagawa, fell from the ceiling. They hastened over to them, healing them, and while Kitagawa stared around the Palace in confusion, Ann explained what had happened.

A few minutes ago, while those inside the Palace had forcibly opened the massive door, Kitagawa and Ann had heard Madarame scream. Both of them followed Madarame to the real door, which had been the door to a storeroom. Kitagawa had never been in there…and so was astonished to find multiple copies of the Sayuri, to say nothing of his teacher all but tearing the room apart, searching for thieves. On Kitagawa's arrival, though, Madarame calmed down somewhat, and launched into an explanation.

The real Sayuri had disappeared long ago. Madarame claimed that a former student had stolen it upon his dismissal, and he had created forgeries to help fund his living expenses, and those of Kitagawa's. But Ann had poked holes in the story, and Kitagawa had stumbled across what he was sure was the real thing, hidden under a nearby sheet. Madarame had made to chase Ann from the house, only for the MetaNav in Ann's phone to abruptly take her and Kitagawa here.

After that, Akira carefully explained what was going on to Kitagawa. Understandably, the young artist was sceptical, finding it hard to equate the gaudy interior of the Palace with the humble artist he had worked with. Which was why they decided to take him to the Eternal Spring sculpture, before ensuring he got out safely.

Kitagawa was still in denial even as he stared at the sculpture. But soon, it became a moot point, when a pair of security guards came in behind them, escorting a familiar figure, while more entered from behind, cutting the Phantom Thieves off. "So, here are the uncultured barbarians trampling through my museum?" he asked, his voice having the same warped flanging effect of the other Shadow Selves they had encountered.

At first, Shadow Madarame seemed to be the same as his original self, until Harry realised that the robes, far from being shabby and careworn, were golden and pristine, not to mention as garish as the rest of the museum. Instead of a simple ponytail, Madarame's hair had a weird topknot that put him in mind of a paintbrush. And his face was heavily made up, with pale face, red lips, and painted eyebrows. Ryuji made a retching noise. "The last Ruler we fought reckoned he was a king, but this guy thinks he's a shogun?"

"I thought he was a drag queen," Sirius snarked.

"Like I said, uncultured," Shadow Madarame sneered. "Still, I should be a gracious host and welcome you to the Magnificent Museum of Master Madarame!" He noticed Kitagawa staring at him. "What's the matter, Yusuke? Have you been struck dumb by my majesty?"

Kitagawa swayed on his feet, but Ann carefully supported him. "Such garish and grotesque attire…" Kitagawa hissed. "What is the lie, and what is the truth?"

Shadow Madarame scoffed. "My attire in what you laughably think of as reality is a contrivance, as is that shambolic excuse for an atelier. I have a more fitting residence, in the name of a mistress."

"Then, if you really are some grotesque mirror of my teacher…tell me…why did you have so many copies of the Sayuri?"

"Simple. I spread the rumour of its theft to sell off copies. The same thing happened when the Mona Lisa got stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia a century ago, after all. Forgers sold copies to rich dupes back then. It was a neat little fundraising scam. It'd be an expensive gloat for them(1), needing to keep it secret, but they would. You fail to realise, Yusuke, how truly subjective the value of art is, as the likes of you would never have come up with such a brilliant scheme! Art is little more than a tool for fame and fortune, though I will admit, you helped me greatly, Yusuke."

"You make me sick," Harry said, stepping forward, glaring at Shadow Madarame from behind his mask. He was only letting this go on because it might get through to Kitagawa about what kind of person his teacher was. "You remind me so much of someone I once knew, who went around stealing other people's work for their own. Neither of you cared if people died as long as you profited from it."

"All great works are those of exploitation, brat," Shadow Madarame sneered back. "Greece and Rome and Egypt all had wonderful art and culture, borne on the backs of slaves. How am I any different?" He then turned to Kitagawa, and then, oddly enough, his expression softened, adding a surprisingly human touch to the Shadow Self. "…Yusuke…if I were you, I'd do what you always did. You always helped me, ignored the plight of those peons who should have been honoured to serve me. Do not rise against me, lest you find the full weight of my opposition destroying any chance you have at success. Remember your place: without me, you would be nothing but a starving orphan, or a corpse. Plucking the fruit of talent from troubled artists and reaping the rewards has been profitable, especially as one can shape the future of helpless children…or take it away when they are of no further use."

"…Is that all I am to you? Is that all we were to you? Resources?" Kitagawa demanded.

"Livestock have been slain for their meat and hide since time immemorial, Yusuke. The modern world has not changed much since Man learned to hunt! You may be a prize specimen, but should you prove intractable, I will reluctantly…"

"…Unforgivable," Kitagawa snarled, before storming up to Shadow Madarame. "Your greed and folly are untenable! How dare you call yourself an artist?!"

Madarame gripped Kitagawa's shirtfront. "You dare speak back to me? You owe me a debt, Yusuke, one you'll never repay, especially at this rate. I have made you what you are, and I can unmake you just as easily. Besides, you're a hypocrite, turning a blind eye to what I did because you had nowhere else to go, you felt. You're my accomplice, NEVER FORGET THAT!" With that, he shoved Kitagawa away, causing the teenager to stumble, Harry catching him.

But Kitagawa's only response was to chuckle hollowly. "Oh my…" he murmured. "How amusing, that truth is stranger than fiction…you're right, I did turn a blind eye, not wanting to believe the truth. I was blinded by love and devotion and gratitude…but no more. NO MORE, I SAY!"

And then, oddly enough, Harry heard another voice, even as Kitagawa convulsed in pain, breaking from Harry's grasp, his eyes now golden in colour. It was a deep, resonating voice both like and yet unlike Kitagawa's own. Have you finally come to your senses? Have you seen your folly in averting your eyes from the truth? Your folly is but a cruel imitation of yourself, one you should part ways with.

As Kitagawa collapsed to his knees, his nails bleeding as he clawed at the floor, Harry heard, Let us forge a contract: I AM THOU, AND THOU ART I. The world is filled with virtue and vice. The time has come to teach the people the true difference between them!

Kitagawa got to his feet, his head now covered by a fox-like mask, and the other Phantom Thieves realised what was happening. As Shadow Madarame stared in bemusement, Kitagawa tore the mask off his face with a flourish. "Very well. COME, GOEMON!"

Kitagawa's new outfit, which appeared in a blast of azure flame, was some sort of dark jumpsuit with a fox's tail attached to it, albeit with some flamboyant touches. His Persona too was flamboyant, what looked like a kabuki actor with a large pompadour. And yet, even as the Persona matched Kitagawa's pose, Harry could feel the power rolling off it in waves.

"Even an array of fakes can make for a spectacle," Kitagawa said, smirking at Shadow Madarame. "But where flowers of evil bloom…they are also fated to perish. So tell me…all those children who looked up to you…the prospects of your students…how many dreams did you tread on for your own selfish gains?"

Shadow Madarame merely sneered. "You bite the hand that feeds you, Yusuke. You've just taken your future and flushed it down the toilet. And for that, I will destroy every chance to become an artist. You'll rue the day you defied me…assuming you survive this battle. Guards…take them out…"

CHAPTER 18 ANNOTATIONS:

So, Yusuke's Awakened. Neat. I know I said that the next chapter probably wouldn't be out until December, but I finished the next chapter along, and I thought I'd post this one, which had been written some time ago, for your reading pleasure.

I changed a few things from canon. Firstly, unlike the game, they don't meet Nakanohara in person, with Futaba's technological know-how allowing them to speak with him. Secondly, I changed how Ann and Yusuke end up in Madarame's Palace. Thirdly, I changed Shadow Madarame's characterisation somewhat. I'll explain why.

Of those with a Palace, aside from Futaba and Sae, Madarame seemed like the most…I hesitate to say sympathetic, but given that he at least is shown to care for Yusuke on some level, I should say complex. We don't see it as much in canon, save for how Yusuke's Confidant reveals some facts, but I'd like to think that Madarame did have some genuine paternal love for Yusuke, even though it was twisted out of shape by his exploitative nature.

That is why I changed how Shadow Madarame interacted with Yusuke a little. I wanted to show that even Shadow Madarame cares about him on some level, so I altered and tweaked certain bits of dialogue, even when paraphrasing it. I also wanted Shadow Madarame to basically call Yusuke out on his hypocrisy, which I think was badly needed.

As for Ann and Yusuke travelling into the Palace, I didn't want to copy exactly what happened in canon, as that seemed like a disaster and didn't fit with the Phantom Thieves taking a more cautious and pragmatic approach. So, my thought was, using Alohamora to force open the door caused a change in cognition in the real Madarame, and in a paranoid fit, he checked to see if the Sayuri and its copies were still present. Because he was ranting and raving, he attracted Yusuke and Ann.

Once he's calmed down a little, Madarame will threaten Ann into silence, but he won't be doing the whole legal action thing he does in canon. He'll make the calls to his lawyer, true, but he'll simply order Ann to be silent, or he'll ruin her career and sue her family into penury. And while still untenable, it means the Phantom Thieves aren't working to a strict time limit.

Before I go to the review-answering, to tide you guys over until the next update, I'll post a few recs for you. I meant to do that with an earlier chapter, but I forgot. There's quite a few good fics, some of which are criminally underrated. Here's my picks…

*Persona 5: Daywatch by Ganheim: A considerably darker take not only on the game, but Joker's character, with him being more bitter and misanthropic. A massive, sprawling story, but a well-written one and quite brilliant, even if Joker's darker qualities grate at times, as do a couple of the changes made.

*Persona 5: Unforgiven by JDubbs93: Despite the OC-like name for Joker in this story (the author clarified that Joker, aka Revland Antrie, is half-British), I actually do enjoy it, partly because it also introduced Futaba early and laid the groundwork for a pairing. Both this story and Daywatch inspired a few elements of my fic, particularly around Futaba and her Palace.

*Pocket Change by KingNiken: I honestly didn't want to read this fic initially, as I thought a mercenary Joker would turn me off. But in fact, it is one of the best Persona 5 fics out there, and is criminally under-favourited. Basically, Joker has known about the Metaverse for years, and has been resolving Palaces for some time, working with Futaba, whom he has known since childhood. He joins the other Phantom Thieves, who have been struggling with Kamoshida's Palace, but demands a hefty fee.

*Thieves Can Be Heroes! by Mugiawara n0 Luffy: You've probably seen this My Hero Academia one already, but believe me, it's a good one, for the most part. Izuku basically takes Joker's place.

*Senran Persona: Ninja of Hearts by UknownHero: While I am not a fan of the Senran Kagura games, this crossover was an interesting blend of Persona 5's darker themes, and some ridiculous ecchi comedy, and while a hell of a doorstopper, it's still a fun ride, and well worth a read.

There are plenty more out there, but I thought I'd make this list a fairly short one. Hope you enjoy…

Review-answering time! For all those worried that Harry's snark about his counterpart being evil (and bearded), it was just a joke. After discussing it in a PM with ZLC genesmith, I decided that the Persona-verse Harry is married to Hermione, who is a lecturer at Oxford. Harry is a police officer working with DI Lewis and DS/DI Hathaway from the TV series Lewis.

Yorae Rasantae: Hermione did warn them about the consequences. Marietta betrayed them out of cowardice, and to someone who wanted to torture and imprison her classmates. I have little sympathy for her. Cho wasn't jealous of Hermione, she was just supporting a friend who was a poor friend in the first place.

AshKing1: An intriguing concept.

1. In discussing expensive gloats Madarame is paraphrasing Duggan from the Doctor Who story City of Death. Interestingly, that story revolved around (amongst other things) stealing the Mona Lisa and selling off copies…created by Leonardo da Vinci himself.