NOTE: With the release of Persona 4 Areana Ultimax on PS4/5, Switch, and PC; I felt that this was a good time to post this chapter. It's short, but it gets some things across for you guys. I'm really excited to get to Arena, but we won't be getting to that one in a long while.

At this moment of posting this chapter I am currently playing through Yukiko's story in Ultimax.

UPDATED READ THIS: I've already said that I was changing episode order. I'm well aware of the production and airing order of the episodes. Look back at previous author notes, where I explained this. I know what I'm doing, so sit back and relax.

Review and Enjoy!

Chapter 25: Room of Velvet

Ben blinked slowly as he awoke from his sleep, stretching out his arms he yawned away his sleep. Sniffing the air, he could smell the scent of sweet fragrance. "Wait a minute…!" Ben sniffed the air again. "The Rustbucket doesn't smell this good!"

"That would be because you are not currently inside of it."

Snapping his head to the sound of the voice Ben found two strangely dressed people sitting in front of him. One was a man dressed in a black suit with a weirdly long nose and the other was a beautiful mature looking woman with platinum blond hair tied into a ponytail; she wore a blue dress with black leggings and heels. Her golden eyes were staring directly at Ben, while the bald man's eyes were still closed. "Or I should say, you technically are still inside of that RV," The woman hummed.

Ben was immediately on high alert, wondering where he was and who these people were. "You better get to talking right now or Four Arms is gonna introduce you to a four pieced knuckle sandwich!"

The woman merely chuckled at him. "That would be unwise, but go ahead," She wasn't taking him seriously.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance Ben reached for the Omnitrix. "Keep laughing! It's Hero Time!" Ben slapped down the watch.

Or he thought he did.

"Eh…?" Ben slapped his wrist again, confused as to why he wasn't transformed. Or better yet, wondering why he couldn't feel the Omnitrix. Looking down at his left wrist, Ben found that the watch was no longer attached to him. "What the heck!? Where's the watch!?"

"It's connected to you," She answered.

"Um? Are you blind or something, Granny!? My watch isn't here!"

"Granny…?" The woman's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

Ben ignored her, trying to figure out some way to escape. "There's gotta be a way out of here somewhere. Wait, where am I even?" Ben finally took notice of his surroundings. He noticed that he was inside of a blue limousine instead of the Rustbucket.

"This is the Velvet Room."

Ben's and the woman's eyes snapped over to the man with the long nose. His fingers entwined with each other in their white gloves. He opened his eyes and grinned like a maniac. "Welcome to the Velvet Room, Ben Tennyson."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "The Velvet Room? What is that some kind of loser club?"

"You are a rude little boy," The woman sighed.

"And you're old," Ben shot back. The woman glared at him and suddenly Ben was reminded of Yukiko and his mother whenever they were annoyed with him.

The man however chuckled at Ben's attitude. "The Velvet Room is a space between matter and reality. Currently in the real world you are asleep inside of your Grandfather's RV."

"So…I'm like dreaming?" Ben asked.

"Yes."

"Why do I always get the weird dreams?" Ben sighed. "Who are you anyway, old man?"

"Would it kill you to show some respect?" The woman demanded.

"It might, like how old age might kill you," Ben smirked. The vein on the woman's forehead throbbed as her irritation towards him increased by the second.

Ignoring the banter the man lifted a gloved hand. "My name is Igor, a proprietor of this world. This lady is Margaret, my attendant. Our role is to help our guest reach the end of their journey, regardless of the outcome," Igor explained.

"Guest? Am I a guest or something?" Ben asked.

Igor chuckled lightly. "No, you do not possess the ability of the Wild Card. Though, that watch of yours resembles it slightly."

"Wild Card? Why do I feel like I've heard that before," Ben tapped his chin.

"Your cousin Amagi Yukiko is deeply tied to the fate of a previous guest of ours," Igor explained.

"...Yukiko?" Ben tilted his head. Suddenly, a lightbulb went off above his head. "OH! You mean Yukiko's a Wild Card!"

"No," Margaret shut him down immediately.

"...Uh…her friend Chilie?"

"It's Chie and no."

"Sanji?"

"Kanji and no again."

"Oh! I got it! It's Yusuke!"

"Yosuke and you're incorrect," Margaret felt her patience wearing thin.

"Nagato!"

"Her name is Naoto. The Wild Card is Narukami Yu, your cousin's boyfriend," Margaret responded with a harsh glare.

Ben's smirked formed a full-on smile. "Oh, I knew that. I just wanted to see how long it would take me to annoy you, Granny."

She was going to kill this boy. Margaret swore it.

Igor snapped his fingers bringing their attention back over to them. "Are you done?"

Margaret released her anger. "Yes, sorry Master."

Ben placed his hands behind his head, leaning in his seat. "Okay, if I'm not this Wild Card thing. Then why am I here?"

Igor raised his hand towards Ben, specks of light danced in the air until a tarot card was formed. "You are an interesting young boy, Benjamin Tennyson. Out of everyone in the world your fate deeply affects fate itself."

"Even more than these Wild Cards?"

"No, just as much as them. The reason you were brought here is still tied to that of our previous guest. Your fate will change his in a way I've never seen possible," Igor explained.

"Change his fate? Sounds weird to me," Ben shrugged.

Igor dispelled the card. "The road of destiny leads to many destinations for you, Benjamin Tennyson. The choices that you make in the future and the decisions that those close to you make will clear the fog in your path."

Before Ben could respond his head started to feel dizzy and the world around him started to become darker.

Igor's chuckling increased in volume. "Whatever path you take, Benjamin Tennyson, will surely be entertaining to see."

"BEN, WAKE UP YOU DOOFUS!"

Ben's eyes snapped open and he sat up instantly. Which ended up being a bad decision as his head collided with another. "OW!"

"OW!" Gwen fell onto the floor, gripping her head. She looked back up at Ben and glared at him. "What's your deal, doofus!?"

"How hard is your head, dweeb!?" Ben hissed back. "Why were you screaming in my face!?"

"Because you overslept again! Grandpa wanted us up early today!" Gwen yelled back.

Rolling his eyes, Ben stepped down from the bunk. "Yeah? Grandpa, can wait a few more minutes."

"Okay, then I'll just tell Yukiko that the reason you overslept was because you spent all night playing your video game!" Gwen smirked.

His eyes grew wide. "You wouldn't!"

"I would!" Gwen hurried out of the RV. "YUKIKO! BEN DID SOMETHING WRONG!"

Ben sprinted out after her. "DON'T LISTEN TO HER! SHE'S LYING!"

Margaret turned to her master. "Are you sure it's wise? Trusting that boy?"

Igor looked at her. "We have no choice in the matter. Fate has picked him to walk this path. It is up to him how his choices shift the world. All we can do is watch."

Margaret nodded her head. "Yes, like we always do." Her mind traveled back to her younger sister. The one who refused to stay still and watch.

SHING!

Margaret's eyes shifted to the seat as a light began to materialize in front of them.

Igor chuckled as another person began to appear inside of the room. An all too familiar face. "Welcome back to the Velvet Room."

Chapter End

NOTE: Ben is not a Wild Card, his fate is deeply attached to Yu's. They're so intertwined that he was forcefully summoned into the Velvet Room.

Ben is a little shit and I enjoy writing him as one. He's 10, so his job is to annoy those around him. Especially, his cousins.

Next chapter - The Galactic Enforcers