AN: Sup, doing this instead of sleep. Btw in case it was missed the thieves have powers in the real world too. I thought about it, and I figured hey, things are gonna get hectic.

Also powers in Gotham only serve to anger Batboy more so…

I got a nice plan laid out, all I gotta do is flesh it out. By the way I'm going by the Gotham maps in the Arkham games, that is also where I'm pulling most characterisation. Though, not everything is covered by the maps so bear with me.

As always, love the feedback and love your support.

I don't own the Batman property nor the Persona property, if I did this would be canon because they would make such good mirrors of each other.

WARNING: the dark knight deserves a dark story. So please if you can't handle extreme violence, cursing, or drama please avert your eyes. I'm going all out for this M rating.

EDIT: soooooo dark lmao

NANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANA

April 9th, Night

Unknown Location

Rain

Akira wakes up in an alley dazed. The nightlife of Gotham shows it's usual lights, usual torrential rain, and usual chaos. He rises up from the asphalt covered in trash and used needles, and looks around to get his bearings.

"Hey… HEY! AKIRA!" a familiar voice comes from around the corner, it's Morgana in his cat form completely drenched and shivering.

"I finally found you!" Morgana ran up to him concerned. He looks alive, and already sounding condescending, he's alive.

"Morgana… where the hell are we? Where are the others?" Akira asked sluggishly as the rain continued to pour down on the two of them.

"Some city called Gotham, but the more important question is, why are we here?" asked Morgana with a rather annoyed look. "We died then poof! I woke up in the dumpster behind you, I was hoping you had some answers."

"Yeah… I got the answers alright," Akira answered with an agitated look.

"Great! The others are looking for you, but let's go ahead and head to the, let's go!"

The cafe?

Sure enough, there she is in all her glory, the cafe Leblanc, could it be what Igor was mentioning with, 'the sense of familiarity' was this? Akira looked around and noticed people walking past like nothing was wrong, as if the cafe was always there. Does Igor truly have the power to move an entire building through universes without anyone noticing? And what does that say of the power of the god Akira was about to face? Akira shivered at the thought as he walked in the familiar door.

"Chief! I found him!" exclaimed Morgana joyfully.

"Thank god you're safe, come on in I guess" Sojiro said looking rather exhausted and confused as Akira was that he and the cafe ended up here.

"Boss?! Out of anyone, you're the last person I'd thought I'd see here" said Akira asking a silent question.

"You and me both, kid. I was just standing here talking to Futaba and suddenly the whole damn place started glowing blue, next thing I knew we were both here. Over the course of the last week, me and her tried to figure out what was going on. All your team found us wondering the same, also how all of us, especially Ryuji, could suddenly speak what was clearly English by what I could gather from the new customers" explained Sojiro long windedly.

"But… what shocks me the most is being able to hear that cat of yours," sighed Sojiro. "Please tell me what happened

"Yes, please explain this Joker, explain to me why I can't rest in damn peace." a familiar voice came through the cafe door. Akechi looked a mix of angered, betrayed, and annoyed.

"My god…" Sojiro was shocked as well as everyone else. Akechi was dead, but alive once more. A cruel god must have looked down upon the boy and snickered 'third time's the charm'.

"Akechi… uh… it's good to see you again." Akira stumbled on his words unsure what to say. Akechi sacrificed his life for his team twice now. He owed him a lot and didn't even know where to start to return the favor.

"Shut those gaped mouths of yours, and answer me" Akechi demanded darkly. He already had a hunch why he was alive again. Another, twisted god must have dug him from his grave. He must again be under the thumb of a madman. He'll break them, slice them, and make sure their numbered days are as painful as possible.

"Right," Akira steeled himself, but Morgana interrupted.

"Whatever it is everyone should be here to hear it, Chief call em" commanded Morgana.

"Jeez… the hell's going on…" Sojiro exhaled, reeling on Akechi's arrival, and a number of other things. He called up the rest of the Phantom Thieves. Hopefully, Akira can provide a much needed explanation to all of this.

NANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANA

April 9th, Night

Park Row, Abandoned Church
Rain

Batman arrived at the church at Park Row, the whole building was covered in green and purple paint. Police sirens drowned out the raging storm while the rain washed off the blood of the multiple dead bodies.

" You're finally here huh?" asked Commissioner Gordon lighting a cigarette. His wife would kill him if she ever found out about this. He was supposed to quit, but on nights like these, it's the only thing that calms his rage.

"What happened Jim?" Batman asked hoarsely

"Two nuns, multiple stab wounds, smiles carved into the mouths. Got a call that four hostages were taken in the church. We arrived at a total ambush, lost five of my best guys, but when Joker lost only two of his they busted out RPGs and took out two cars killing three more. We put up a hell of a fight, but they escaped with three of the nuns, Joker with them laughing all the way. There is still one hostage in there "

"So whose-" as Batman asked that the church tower exploded. Fire rained down from the sky, the rain not helping the fire at all. As the lot of them ducked a charred body fell on a cop car. It was clearly the priest based on the clothing. The same smile carved into his mouth.

"Get some damn firemen on that!" pointing at the blazing inferno that was the church. " GODDAMMIT PUT THOSE FIRES OUT! Just what is Joker up to? His men are still in there!"

" You know he doesn't care Jim" Batman yelled as he threw himself into the blaze. These were bad men but that doesn't mean he shouldn't save him. Maybe the betrayal will loosen their lips.

"HELP ME, PLEASE!" shouted a man dressed in joker gang clothing, he long ago ditched the mask in favor of breathing, the sweat washing away his makeup. Batman noticed he was trapped under some rubble from the tower, his legs clearly broken from the impact. Batman heaved it off of the thug with a strained grunt, picking up the man and lifting him onto his shoulder.

"Are there others?" Batman making his way to the broken window. "No Tommy and Jones both died in the explosion, could tell by their heads splattered on the confessionals, poor bastards" the man cried out in pain as Batman threw him out the building infuriated, he needed answers NOW.

"WHAT'S JOKER PLANNING!?"

" FUCK OWW! I don't know the specifics all I know of is a hideout in Chinatown. I tell ya where." the thug panicked as they all do when Batman has such a fire in his eye. After he told him the address Batman responded with a curt thank you and knocked him out.

"You heard him boys! I want every man available! Owens take this trash to the station!" Gordon commanded. The fire was dying down Batman already disappeared, on his way to the mile no doubt and so was he.

"Cash is gonna have fun with you" Owens said as he lifted him into his car. Hopefully his wife won't wait for him. It's going to be a while until his shift is up.

NANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANANA

April 9th, Night

Cafe Leblanc

Rain

The whole team was back together, all expressing shock at Akechi's return, Haru watching him especially close. Her father's death was still fresh for her, but like with Maruki, she might have to set that aside for the time being and listen to Joker from her chair closest to the bathroom.

Everyone's winter clothes were soaked from the search of their leader. They looked high and low while still getting their bearings of the new city. They were shocked at being able to understand English just as much as Sojiro understood Mona. They all hoped Joker had some answers.

"And that's all I know" Akira finished his long recalling of what Igor and Lavenza told him, the gang staying quiet throughout..

"Mirrored selves, what could that mean?" pondered Makoto. She took charge of the group in Akira's stead. She had no idea where all these gods came from but she'll keep herself ground for the team. She calmed her thoughts and tried to focus, sitting in the chair next to Haru.

"I think it has a literal meaning, it's a different universe so we must fight our counterparts" mused Morgana. He agreed to stay the closest to the cafe but scouted around for Joker the most. As his mentor he felt guilty for losing him after the train crash.

"What? This shit makes no sense, we know nothing about the god, no way of knowing where these "mirrors" are, and we suddenly have powers outside the nav too? What the hell?" screamed Ryuji. He was very emotional about the whole thing, but Ann was worse off as she saw her trembling from the booth seat across from him.

"What worries me is this god, they… Shiho…"Ann started to tear up, clearly trying to repress some raw emotions in the far booth seat. She looks like she needs to say something.

"Ann.. what is it?" Akira asked her. The whole group looked down to the ground aside from Akechi, the whole tone of the room got a whole lot darker.

Ann steeled herself and continued, "Shiho and I were meeting up together at the underground mall, it was a few days after you left. We joked around about something in the fitting rooms, when Shiho froze up out of nowhere. I asked what was wrong but out of she tackled me… right when a gun went off."

Ann was trembling in her seat when Ryuji came and comforted her. She gave him a fragile smile and continued on. " I noticed the bullet hole in her neck ...as we laid down there on the ground with her on top. I saw her drown… drown in her own blood."

Silence fell upon the room as no one could bring themselves to say a word. The only sound that came after was Ann's sobbing uncontrollably. Akira looked down to the ground in disgust, he clenched his fist and asked darkly "Who?"

As Ryuji tried to console her in some way, rubbing his hand on her back, she continued."It was Mika, but she was bleeding black through her eyes. She walked up to me slowly, as everyone else ran in terror. She leaned in and whispered in my ear, 'if I can't win no one can' then shot me in the stomach two times." Ann paused preparing herself for the rest she could still feel her whole body burning….melting.

"She carried something with her, I don't know exactly what it was but...she poured it on me all over me...It hurt so bad… it was all over my face, I could feel my skin burning…" Ann was enraged at that fact, she knew what black blood meant. But that didn't make the betrayal hurt any less.

"I screamed and screamed all I could notice was that she just couldn't stop laughing and pointed the gun at herself and…" Ann started sobbing through her hands, not finishing the sentence. " Last thing I see are two dead bodies of friends I made, as I bled out. The people around me stood in frozen terror doing nothing for me...the pain was too much as it reached my eyes… went down my throat...I was blinded but heard the shouting of police on the way as my breathing stopped"

Noone could answer... Akechi was silent the whole time… he needed more answers...and none has the will to press for more answers.

"It seems someone else found the metaverse in your absence, someone who wanted you gone" said Akechi still standing in his spot by the Sayuri. It was troubling just how much this figure knew of Ann to strike so deep at her personally. He suspected revenge by one of Shido's associates but that didn't add up. Only he had the means to use the nav. Unless…

"Did you all experience such an entrance to this world?" asked Akechi sternly.

Silence…

"Came out of nowhere," Ryuji started as Ann was reduced to sniffles. Might as well go next. " I was helping my mom cook dinner when all of a sudden a bunch of guys busted down my door. I tried to fight 'em off, at least try to get mom out safe, but one rushed passed me and put a gun to her head and demanded everything we owned. 'Course I didn't care 'bout that I just wanted that gun put away. But…" Ann squeezed his hand as he continued. He needed that, shit is hard to say.

"My mom was sobbing begging them to stop. I couldn't take it anymore… I was about to fight them off of her..they got me good in the back…. It hurt like hell and could bring my legs to move. They pressed a gun hard against my head. I cried out trying to grab one of them. I refused to go out without a fight, but two 'em help me down to the ground and then...they…they blew her fucking brains out man…" Ryuji cried, he never cursed like that. Only when truly upset did he say that and it made the point a thousand times over.

"I screamed and struggled against 'em. Looking at her still on the kitchen floor broke something in me. But I also noticed the black shit in their eyes… A sharp pain went through my head and it all went black. Bastards killed two people over a couple bucks I thought but now…" Ryuji paused.

"Whoever brought us here will pay! I won't rest until they answer for that." Ryuji promised grimly. Akira nodded to him silently promising back.

" I was just walking the street to buy more art supplies," Yusuke started his eyes downcast. It hurt him to hear Ryuji lost his mother too, he'll have to talk to him later about it. Everyone wanted to comfort him but Ann had him covered. "I had a distinct feeling of being followed so I tried to lose them in an alleyway" Yusuke scrunched his eyebrows together in thought.

" It was all in vain, they surrounded me and knocked me out, I came to find myself in my dorm room tied to a chair and mouth taped shut. Of course I struggled but it was all for nought. They poured gasoline all over my room, all over my precious work, and finally… all over me." Yusuke pondered why they were so violent with his death as compared to Ann andRyuji's quick bullet. Then again maybe the loss of loved ones was more powerful than a loss to his paintings. He could agree to the sentiment.

" With all my might I tried to scream 'WHY, WHY' but it was all muted by the cheap tape on my mouth. Before the match fell and they closed the door to leave me to my doom, I too noticed the men were all being controlled. But I found myself distracted as the flames spread upon my and finally my skin. I burned alive among all of my hard work. The man or woman who has done this to us will feel pain a thousand times worse than I when we're through."

Everyone was shocked that these monsters burned Yusuke alive, he had no scars to show, but the pain in his eyes showed the truth tenfold.