Yu was waiting outside the subway entrance, the same spot the Team had used the first time they entered Mementos. He was about fifteen minutes early, so it was no surprise that he was alone. But that wasn't the case for long, as he felt a tugging on his sleeve, and he turned around to see none other than…

"Hey Yu, whatcha up to?"

His girlfriend.

"Hey Shiho. Nothing much, just waiting on the others. You?"

"The same. But now I can do it with good company." She replied, lacing her arm with Yu's.

"You're in a good mood."

"We beat Mitsuyo, and we're going to celebrate, so yea I'm in a good mood. Why? Aren't you?"

Well, having your ass literally assaulted yesterday would put a damper on things.

"Sorry. I've just been thinking about things. The future, what the Team's next move is, all that stuff."

Shiho shot him an apologetic look.

"Yea, that makes sense. Being the team leader sucks, doesn't it?"

"It's not so bad. I get some exclusive privileges. Like dating the most incredible woman in the world."

Shiho smirked at that, and a faint blush could be seen on her cheeks, but to her credit, she didn't look away like she would've at the start of this relationship.

"And don't you forget it."

The distance between their lips began to close, but a sudden cry caused them to separate quickly.

"Yu! Shiho!"

The two turned and saw Morgana running towards them, and right behind her was Akechi, who was walking at a brisk pace towards the group. Tucked under his arms was his signature briefcase, no doubt holding files related to potential targets. Upon seeing the teenage detective, Shiho and Yu immediately began to look around for Hifumi. They had agreed to meet up at the subway, but it wasn't too much of a stretch to think that she took a longer route in order to avoid people. But as soon as the thought crossed their mind, Yu felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw the girl in question. She was wearing a hoodie and a flu mask to keep herself hidden, but when Yu looked closely, he saw the red ribbon in the shape of a clover.

"Hello Hifumi. Didn't think you'd make it through the crowds without at least some trouble." Yu greeted.

"The controversy died down surprisingly fast. All I heard on the train was people speculating about the Phantom Team." Hifumi replied.

"It would appear we're all here. Now, let us go to have a ton of cheer!" Akechi exclaimed, posing dramatically.

"Cute rhyme. You make that up just now, or have you been rehearsing?" Yu teased.

"Oh hush. But now that we're all here, we can start heading to this place of yours." Akechi reminded, turning to Hifumi.

"Right. It's on the outskirts of town, but I can give directions from here."

"Alright. Let's find a secluded spot and enter the Metaverse."

It didn't take long before they found a small alleyway that was out of sight of the general public. Once they were in the Metaverse, Hifumi looked upon her new surroundings with wide eyes.

"Oh that's right, you haven't seen Mementos, have you?" Yu asked upon seeing her reaction.

"Mementos?"

"We'll explain on the way." Morgana answered, summoning the Mona-mobile. The group piled in, and Hifumi looked up at the blood red sky and the black and red roots coming out of the station. But, as the Mona-mobile began to pull away from it, she heard her leader begin to explain.

"That place back there was the entrance to Mementos, the Palace of the general public."

"The general public?"

"Yup. Like I said when we first met you, Palaces are places where extremely distorted desires take form. Because everyone has some form of distorted desires, but not enough to make a Palace, the populace shares a Palace."

"And I'm assuming that is Mementos. Turn right here." Hifumi guessed, pointing at the direction Morgana was to take.

"Pretty much. We use it to take the hearts of people that don't have a Palace, and we don't even need to send a calling card. Just pop in, beat up the Shadow and boom, job done."

"That sounds useful. And good for practice. Keep going straight up the hill."

"Yea. In fact, while we're looking for our next target, we should probably explore Mementos some more." Yu stated as the bus began to make its way out of the city proper.

"Let's hold off on that kind of talk until after we're done eating. We're supposed to celebrate today, right?" Shiho reminded.

"There. See that small house overlooking the city? That's the vacation home." Hifumi pointed to a small cottage on a cliffside overlooking Tokyo. Morgana proceeded to floor it, and before the group knew it, they had arrived at their destination.

"It's amazing how fast you can go without traffic. Now when we get into the real world, everyone take a look at these menus and decide what you want." Akechi ordered as they stepped off and Morgana put the Mona-mobile back to wherever it waited for its mistress. The group entered the real world, the transition now so much smoother with them used to it.

"You got the money Yu?" Morgana asked as Hifumi unlocked the door.

"Always."

The five entered and looked around. Much to their surprise, there wasn't really all that much to it. The house was big enough to house about a family of four, and there was a pool in the back, but other than that it looked… surprisingly ordinary.

"Wow. I would've thought Mitsuyo would've gotten something more… expensive." Shiho pointed out.

"Mother had to really twist father's arm for this, and he only capitulated when she asked for their anniversary. Does everyone know what they want?" Hifumi asked, picking up a phone to order.

After everyone actually looked over the menu on their phones and Hifumi relayed their orders, the Tricksters began to spread out and explore. Yu himself went to the poolside that overlooked the city. The sun was setting and the lights had begun to turn on, giving the city a surreal feeling, but it also gave him a sense of calm, like this was a shelter in the storm to come. That's when he had an idea.

"Hey Hifumi, how often does this get used?" He called.

"It didn't get much back when my family was using it, but now that mother's been arrested, I imagine it won't get any. Why?" Hifumi asked.

Like his voice was a fire and they were moths, the rest of the Team showed up and joined him at the pool area.

"I was just thinking that, since we're going to continue our operations, it would be best to have a hideout. Or somewhere that we could be hidden from the public. We can't go into the Metaverse from a back alley and hope that people just don't notice."

"That's a good idea. And you think we can use this vacation home for that?" Hifumi assumed.

"I don't think that would work. We had to enter the Metaverse to even get here quickly, so it would defeat the purpose." Akechi pointed out.

"Though Yu's right. We do need a hideout." Shiho reminded.

"How about Akechi's place? It's easy to reach, secluded, and we have an excuse to show up whenever we want." Morgana suggested.

"That's a good idea. What do you think Akechi?" Yu asked.

"I agree. Whenever we need to go to Mementos or just discuss Team business in private, my apartment should be more than enough. Though we should keep this place in mind for emergencies."

"Sweet. Be sure you text us the address."

As Akechi began to text away, Morgana asked a question everyone was thinking.

"Sooooooo…. What do we do while we're waiting for food?"

"Well, we could talk about what we're going to do next." Yu suggested.

"Nope! We're not doing that until after the food arrives!" Shiho objected.

"Well, what do you suggest?" Hifumi asked.

"We could play a game." Shiho suggested.

"Oh really?"

"Yup! Have any of you heard of a game called President?" Shiho asked as she looked through her bag.

There were a few moments before she realized that there was nowhere to play out in the pool area. Taking them back indoors, she took everyone's silence as a 'no', so she sat down and began to explain.

"So basically, the goal of the game is to get rid of all your cards as fast as possible. You do this by laying down a card that's stronger than what the person before you put down. For example, if Yu put down a nine, I would have to put down a ten or higher." The volleyball player told her teammates as she pulled out a deck of cards.

"What if you couldn't?" Morgana asked.

"Then you'd have to pass, and keep your cards. There's also something else. If you have two or more of the same cards, like say, three queens, you can play them, and those after will have to put down three kings or higher."

"What's the order of power for the cards?" Yu asked as Shiho began to shuffle her deck.

"It goes, from weakest to strongest; three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace, two. A Joker can be anything you want it to be."

"Alright. I think I get it. You guys wanna go a few practice rounds?" Akechi asked.

"Oh, I almost forgot to mention. The one that wins first is called the President, while the second winner is Vice President. The second last person is called scum, while the main loser is a hobo. The hobo has to give two of his best cards to the President, while the scum has to give his best card to the Vice President. If either have a Joker, they have to give that instead. Also, the President and Vice President have to give their worst cards to the hobo and scum respectively. Is everyone clear on the rules?"

"I am." Hifumi answered, and Shiho began to deal the cards.

"Where'd you hear about this Shiho?" Yu asked as the last card was dealt.

"I learned it from Ann. Now, I'll go first."

"Hey, I just thought of something. Isn't it normal for humans to bet something on games like this?" Morgana asked as the game began in earnest.

"Yea it is. But we don't really have that much money to spare." Hifumi pointed out.

"Well then how about this; the loser has to tell an embarrassing story." Yu suggested, curious to learn more about his fellow Tricksters.

"Just be sure you have plenty to spare Yu. Because this veteran won't be losing any time soon." Shiho replied.

Mewhehe. Time to cheat mah boi!

No Izanagi. We're going to win this fair and square.

The game began in earnest, with Izanagi groaning about Yu not using his powers to his advantage. It lasted for a few minutes, before it ended with Hifumi's defeat. The shogi player let out a deep sigh as she began to rack her brain thinking of which embarrassing story to share. The rest of the Team leaned in, ready to lap up whatever fresh teasing material she was about to give them.

"Alright, so… once upon a time, I watched Mary Poppins."

"Oh boy." Yu interrupted with a smile on his face.

"And when I saw the scene of her descending on an umbrella, I immediately decided that that was the way to travel. So, I got an umbrella, climbed to the roof of the house and jumped off. You can imagine the results."

"Ouch. How bad was it?" Yu asked.

"I actually got lucky. Father was able to catch me before I hit the ground, but I imagine it must have looked amusing to anyone watching."

"Can you imagine if it worked though?" Shiho replied.

"I can see it now; Hifumi descending upon the unsuspecting masses with a menacing umbrella and the Imperial March playing in the background. The sky cracks with thunder and the skies weep blood that does not touch Hifumi thanks to what she's flying with. As the people shrek in horror, she proclaims to the world 'Your new goddess has arrived! Kneel before me and my umbrella flying powers!" Akechi declared, doing a dramatic pose.

"Truely, the power of umbrellas triumphs over all!" Hifumi added, doing her own dramatic pose.

"When you said that blood doesn't touch Hifumi, all I could picture was a bunch of people huddled under the one dry zone she'd create and they just waddle to wherever she's going." Shiho replied, snickering.

"I'd have to remember to not wear a skirt if I ever manage to recreate Mary Poppins."

"Alright, alright. Settle down you two and let's go another round." Yu declared before they could go any further. He wanted to learn more, but preferably about the others. Once again, the cards were dealt, and the players did their best to win. When everything was done, it was Akechi that lost, foolishly holding onto a four.

"The Detective Prince is now living on the streets? What is the world coming to?" Yu asked lightheartedly.

"Forget Detective Prince, you are now… the HOBO PRINCE!" Hifumi declaried.

"If that's the case, then I, the Hobo Prince, demand only the finest of shag carpeting as tribute!" Akechi replied.

"Maybe we could switch your code name to Hobo Prince." Morgana teased.

"No. Never in a million years."

"Alright Hobo Prince, why don't you tell us a story of your past?" Yu requested.

"Very well. Back when I was younger, starting middle school, I was infatuated with Western superheroes.-"

"What do you mean 'was'?" Yu asked with a smirk, only for Akechi to narrow his eyes in response.

"… Superman in particular was my favorite, and because of that, I made a small resolution when I was forced to switch schools around the third grade. I would go on the lookout for bullies and beat them up when I found them."

"I think I know how this ends." Shiho piped up.

"Well, when the time came for me to begin my lookout, imagine my surprise when I couldn't find any evil-doers. At first I thought I was unlucky, but my vigilance led to nothing for an entire week. Apparently, the teachers did such a good job at catching bullies that I wasn't needed. So I was forced into early retirement."

"That might've been for the best. But still, you deciding to try and be a hero to the kids at your middle school is so sweet." Shiho pointed out.

"There was one bully I managed to catch, although it was many years later. After I dealt with him, I got to meet and befriend his victim; Mishima, who would later introduce me to Futaba."

So that's how he formed a team with people younger than him.

"Alright, another round. How long until the food's delivered?" Morgana asked as Shiho began to shuffle.

"I don't know, but it should be soon." Yu reasoned.

For the third time, the game began. This round lasted a bit longer than usual, but as the cards began to vanish and winners were declared, the last one to get rid of their cards was Shiho. The volleyball player pouted as her boyfriend laid down the last card, making her the new hobo of the group.

"Please don't try to ruin the shag carpeting." Akechi requested. Shiho let out a sigh, and everyone leaned forward to hear her embarrassing tale.

"Alright so… this happened when I was in middle school too. I had really gotten the hang of singing, and my parents wanted to show off my talent to my aunt, who was once an idol herself. Now, they let me have free reign over the music selection, meaning that I could choose whatever I wanted. Now, at the time, I really wanted to impress my aunt by singing a song I'd never sung before. So I found a musical called 'The Book of Mormon', and a song called 'Hasa diga Eebowai'. Now, if I knew where the song would go, I wouldn't have even considered it."

"What does hasa diga eebowai mean?" Morgana asked.

"I'm getting there. So, because my parents were so impressed with my singing talents that not only did my aunt bring friends, but my dad thought it would be a good idea to bring his boss and co-workers to show me off. So, we all gathered in the living room, and I put on the music, and the lyrics show up on screen. Everything was going well until we found out what 'hasa diga eebowai' meant."

"What was it?"

"Fuck you, God."

The group had a moment of silence as they took in the reveal. Shiho simply let out a soft hum and nodded her head.

"Yea. Needless to say that after that, my dad never brought co-workers over, and my mom pressured me to find some other hobby."

"Jeez. I can only imagine how badly that would've gone for me if it was me and Sae." Yu stated, his rear end somehow flaring up in pain as if to give him an idea as to what would happen.

"Yea. Sae-san would definitely not appreciate such humiliation in front of her peers." Akechi supported.

"Hasa diga eebowai is definitely be something I would yell while imitating Mary Poppins while the apocalypse happened." Hifumi added.

"Alright, time for-"

There was a sudden knock on the door, and a voice called out.

"Excuse me, I have a delivery here for a Shiho Suzui?"

"It's the only name I could think of that they wouldn't recognize." Hifumi replied.

Yu handed Shiho a wad of yen, and the volleyball player rushed to open the door while the others gathered up the cards. After a few moments, she came back bringing a cardboard box. Placing it down on the table, the smell of their food invaded the nostrils of everyone present. It wasn't long before everyone found out which food belonged to whom, and they devoured their meals like hungry animals. Soon, groans of satisfaction were heard from everyone.

"Ooooooh, tis ich sooooo guuuut!" Shiho proclaimed with stuffed cheeks.

"I know. I'll have to keep this place in mind for the future." Akechi responded as he took another bite of his food.

"So, now that we're all happily munching away, I think we can discuss our next move." Hifumi said.

"Oh, alright. Anyone got any ideas?" Shiho asked.

"Well, we should probably keep exploring Mementos. There's probably a few new targets that we can find now." Yu answered, pulling out his phone and browsing the Phansite.

"Yea, see, we got a few requests here. First up is for a Kosei student named Hikari Shimizu. She's been abusing, humiliating, and ordering a guy around like some kind of dominatrix. " He added, showing everyone what he found.

"I know of her. The poor boy has continuously asked her to stop, and she's beaten him for it. The other students don't want to be her next target, so they keep quiet, and it's only emboldened her."

"Who knows when she'll try to do something sexual to him? We gotta stop her before she goes too far!" Shiho demanded with a scowl.

"I agree. Man or woman, we can't let someone suffer sexual abuse." Akechi added.

"Sounds like we're in agreement."

"Agreement?" Hifumi questioned.

"Yea, we have a rule that we all have to agree to go after a target before actually beginning infiltration. We don't disregard it even for the small stuff." Yu explained.

"There's something else here. There's a bully named Daisuke Takanashi." Morgana said, pointing to the request in question.

"Not that big a case, but we shouldn't limit ourselves just those with Palaces." Shiho pointed out.

"You're right. Best to nip problems in the bud." Morgana agreed.

"A bully and a dominatrix… should be good practice." Akechi stated as he looked.

"The dominatrix should be… interesting." Shiho pointed out as she took a swig of her drink.

"Or fun, depending on your perspective." Yu replied, causing everyone to stare at him.

"Why Yu, didn't know you were into that kind of stuff." Shiho teased with a small smirk.

"Well he fell for you, and you whacked him with a volleyball, so…" Akechi trailed off.

"Wait what?" Hifumi asked.

"Apparently Yu and Shiho met at a volleyball match. Shiho broke his nose with a spike." Morgana explained.

"Oh my. That'll be an interesting story to tell your kids." Hifumi stated with wide eyes.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Yu cautioned as he suddenly felt hot. Before the conversation could go any further, Akechi's phone began to ring with the Batman theme from the 1966 show. Akechi picked it up with a wide smile.

"Hello Sae-san… How could I not, they're all over the news these days. Huh? Are we sure tomorrow's the best time? True, sooner is better. Very well. I'll have to let Ushimaru-sensei know then. That's all? Oh, ok. Buh-bye."

"What did Sae-san want?" Yu asked.

"Apparently, the media wants an official statement from the police, and the SIU has sent Sae-san to give them one, and as her partner, I'm supposed to come with her. We'll be going in tomorrow, during school."

"Oh. Think you can handle it?"

"Don't worry, I've made appearances on TV before. Though, I'm going to have to inform Ushimaru-sensei so that the teachers know to send me the proper lessons. After the interview is over, we can go back to Phantom Team business. But for now, let's just enjoy ourselves."

And enjoy themselves they did, relishing the break in the action and preparing themselves for whatever came next.

Ryuji was on his way home, Bushimaru plushie tucked securely under his arm. In the distance, he could see the rundown, old, and frankly disgusting motel that he called home since his previous school year. They were close to getting enough yen to finally buy back their old house. But as Ryuji approached, he saw someone moving in the shadows. Moving as quickly as he could without giving it away that he'd seen the unknown person, Ryuji began to move towards the stairs that would take him to his room. But he didn't manage to get far before the person in question spoke up.

"Where do you think you're going kid?"

Ryuji stopped. That voice sounded familiar. Turning around, the stranger stepped into the light, and the teenager's eyes widened in recognition. It was the man from before, the one that gave him the letter to deliver. But this time, he didn't cover up his neck, revealing what caused Ryuji's eyes to nearly pop out of their sockets. Tattooed on his neck was a blue gecko, almost exactly like the one his father wore. And there was only one other person in the world who had a tattoo like that at the same place.

"Ah, you recognize me. I heard that you delivered the letter, and not a moment too soon. You're probably wondering who I am. The name's-"

"Munehisa Iwai. I know who you are." Ryuji spat.

"Oh really?"

"Your tattoo gave ya away. Dad was always talkin' about how he and you were the only two people in the world that had it. The hell do you want?"

"Well, since you asked so nicely, I wanted to give you this."

Iwai held out his hand, and on it was a series of numbers. When Ryuji looked at Iwai, the man decided to explain.

"That's my phone number. You'd better put it in, because you're gonna see it real soon."

"What? Why?"

"Because we got something in the works, but it ain't ready just yet. When it is, we'll give you a call."

"Screw you asshole. Just because my dad was in the clan don't mean I want in."

"Heh. You inherited your dad's lack of tact. But I came prepared. You wanna guess what exactly was in that envelope?"

Ryuji's jaw went slack. He hadn't really thought about when he first saw Iwai, thinking he was just some random schmuck with too much money on his hands, but now Ryuji could see that he had been conned.

"Drugs?" Ryuji asked.

"Bingo. And if you don't cooperate, a picture of that envelope, and what was in it, will find its way to the police. Got it?" Iwai asked, hostility leaking into his tone.

"Yea. But why the hell you gotta go after me?" Ryuji replied, his own tone not showing any of the nervousness that gripped him.

"Oh that's easy. Your old man was once one of our best guys in hand-to-hand. The Tiger of Tokyo is what they called him. And I just wanna see if that talent runs in the family. See you around Sakamoto."

And with that, the well-dressed yakuza member strolled off, leaving Ryuji alone, thinking about just how much trouble he was in.