Makoto and Ren sat on the sofa in Leblanc's attic, quietly resting as they waited for everyone to arrive.

Morgana was curled up by the recently switched-on space heater, his tail slowly waving back and forth.

The attic was just as drafty as the year before. Despite the pair's attempts to clean thoroughly, the smell of burning dust mixed with the more familiar coffee and curry from downstairs. Makoto hoped that Ren would sleep well at night regardless. The operative word in "winter break" was "break" after all, even if it hadn't quite worked that way in the summer. Furthermore, he had entrance exams when he returned.

She leaned in closer to him. His right arm rested on the seat back behind her, inviting her further. Normally he'd move to one of the chairs, reserving the sofa seats for the girls, but it had been so long since they were together and surely he was tired from his trip. Just this once, it would be okay, wouldn't it?

Haru was the first to arrive. Makoto lifted her head to catch a small giggle from her fellow college student. Embarrassed, she turned back to Ren, finding his eyes closed.

Best to let him nap.

Haru mouthed a "don't worry" as she tip-toed to one of the chairs, first setting down the cup and saucer she had brought up before seating herself.

If Yusuke even noticed Ren and Makoto's increasingly public display of affection, he did not reveal it. Instead, from the moment he ascended the stairs, his focus was on the Jagariko containers they had spread out on the table just for him. He snatched one as he assumed his usual spot on the make-shift bench formed by a plank of wood across two turned-over crates.

Ren seemed to have roused by the time Futaba bounded up the stairs. The couple separated to a minimum appropriate distance, with emphasis on the minimum. Hidden by the table, or so Makoto told herself, her left hand rested upon his right. His other hand rubbed at his eye. He blinked several times through a yawn.

Their newly-awake leader allowed for a chorus of "welcome backs" from the team members who had arrived so far. It was muted compared to his other visits. Maximizing the shorter break provided less time to plan and Ren had insisted they not tax themselves by organizing a party during second term final exams. Whether that helped Ann and especially Ryuji remained to be seen.

Ann's smile as she entered the attic revealed nothing. "Welcome back Re-"

"You guys are not gonna believe this!" Ryuji's voice steamrolled Ann's. He held a flyer out in front of him, shaking it fast enough that it couldn't be read. Finally he slammed it down at the center of the table, fingers splayed across its middle. "There's an action stage show about us!"

Ryuji wasted no time grabbing the chair by the window and setting it down next to Ren as the rest of the team stared dumbfoundedly at the sheet of paper. He punched their leader's shoulder as he sat down. "Oh, and welcome back man."

As the initial shock of Ryuji's entrance subsided, Futaba reached for the flyer. She adjusted her glasses as she looked more closely. "Whoa, is this real? A real stage show?"

"...Stage show?" asked Haru.

"You know, like the Featherman ones they do in Dometown," Futaba replied. She squinted at the flyer. "I think I've heard of this venue... not top tier, but workable."

"We gotta go!" Ryuji was leaning over, his hands on his thighs, elbows jutting out.

"Let me see," Makoto opened her hand and Futaba gave her the flyer.

Across the middle-top stood a group of actors in costumes and masks, posing like those figures in Futaba's room. In the background, a few more had been composited in. While the actors' silhouettes were similar to theirs, their colors were bright, saturated, and covered in shiny gold trim, save for the one in the middle, which was in black.

Makoto began reading the text aloud. "Heart-change Task Force Phantom Thieves is a new production from the Agi Island Players. We have scoured Tokyo for information on the Phantom Thieves. Our sources include interviews with Shujin Academy students and Phan-Site requesters, dream diaries of change-of-heart targets, correspondences with a dark web entrepreneur, and overheard accounts of a surprisingly knowledgeable bleached-haired delinquent in Shibuya."

Surprisingly knowledgeable bleached-haired delinquent...

"Ryuji!" Makoto's eyes narrowed at her teammate.

"Ehh..." Ryuji rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "C'mon, they don't got nothing. Look at those outfits."

"Should we really go to a show about us when Ryuji is so well-known?" Haru looked to the ceiling, a single finger on her lips.

"If it's like the Featherman shows, plenty of people will be wearing masks. It'll be fine," Futaba grinned. "We can sit in the back if you're worried."

"I can't say I'm not interested," said Yusuke. He reached over and plucked the flyer from Makoto. "Though these costumes..."

"I'm curious what I'll look like," Haru leaned over so she could see the promotional shots too. "I'd also like to go."

"I don't know... " Makoto worried her lips together. "It'd be better not to attract attention."

"C'mon, it'll be fine," Ryuji leaned in further.

"Yeah Makoto," Ann smiled. She teased, "Isn't there someone you'd like to buy merch for?"

"W-well... " Makoto's eyes went to the ceiling. There was a certain young fan who would really appreciate it. "I suppose in that case..."

"And what about you, leader?" Futaba turned to Ren. "Can we go? Please?"

Ren glanced at Makoto. She shrugged. He spoke. "Fine by me."

"Great!" Ryuji and Futaba said simultaneously. They were on their feet, hands balled from making double fist-pumps as they stood.

Futaba's eyes shined especially bright as she added, "So tomorrow, late afternoon showing?"

––––– ––––– –––––

Makoto, her bag now full of masks, keychains, posters, and plush toys, had no trouble finding the rest of her friends in the stands. Though they sat towards the back, and indeed it was a sea of masks, they still stuck out. At least the audience was facing forwards, away from them.

"There the are!" Futaba pointed from her position behind Makoto. The small girl had her own bag of loot.

Ryuji brought up the rear of their "shopping strike force," as Futaba had called it. The yellow mask he wore, shoved to the side of his head, served to de-emphasize his otherwise noteworthy hair.

When they got to the others, things were lively as always.

"I can't see from down here!" Morgana whined.

"You can sit on my lap, Mona-chan," said Haru. "But only when the show starts."

"We wouldn't want to get kicked out," Yusuke explained.

"Futaba, sit here!" Ann patted the seat between her and Haru.

Makoto looked at the empty seat between Ren and Yusuke, in the row behind the girls. Ren smiled at her. She was soon seated beside him.

"Find some good gifts?" he asked.

"Yes, I-"

"Did she!" Futaba turned in her chair to look back at them. "That girl's gonna be so spoiled! She even bought two Joker plushies!"

One of those plushies she intended to keep for herself.

Makoto dipped her head, avoiding eye-contact. Her hair fell over her cheeks, but did little to hide the flush coming to her face.

Ren nudged her with his shoulder. "Two Joker plushies, eh?"

"Th-they're really cute," Makoto turned, giving him a small smile.

Loud music interrupted their moment. The house lights dimmed. The murmurs of the crowd died down.

As promised, Haru lifted Morgana onto her lap.

All eyes turned to the stage. The color scheme was mostly muted-red with black highlights. There was large open area in the middle, surrounded by cubes of various sizes, but similar design. Some of the larger, meter-high and above ones, were stacked as many as four high, each turned at angles with respect to each other.

A woman with black twin-tails and a man with short bleached hair ran onto the middle of the stage. They were wearing over-sized versions of Shujin Academy's winter uniform. The coats seemed several sizes too big. The plaid stripes were thick and spaced further apart compared to the official design.

"Oh no!" shouted the woman. "Whatever will we do? The evil teacher Kamoshida has us surrounded!"

From both the sides of the stage, people in full-cover gray spandex appeared. They each held a volleyball in one hand, the other behind it like they were preparing to serve. Their walk was exaggerated and strange, with oversized steps taken with fixed bent knees, twisting at the torso with each one.

"Bow to the will of Kamoshida-sama!" they yelled in unison.

"What... what is this?" Ann whispered.

"It's a standard hero show thing," Futaba has already bunched her knees to her chest. She leaned in. "Don't worry about it. Gotta take some artistic license right?"

"He's got the whole team against us!" yelled the actor with the bleached hair. "That jerkface!"

"Pfft... jerkface," Futaba giggled.

"Is there really nothing us Shujin students can do?" the twin-tailed woman shouted into the sky.

"There is!" a voice boomed through the amphitheater.

Two plumes of smoke, one black, one red, shot upwards from a stack of two cubes in the center-back of the stage. When they dissipated, "Joker" stood atop the pillar.

He was surprisingly accurate, at least compared to the others on the flyer. He wore a black duster and his mask was mostly correct albeit oversized. However, instead of his usual attire underneath, he wore black spandex all the way up his neck, ending in a white and gold turtleneck. Similar trim accentuated the tops of his knee-high boots. At his waist was a white and gold belt with a prominent calling card for a buckle. Finishing he look was a large red top hat.

"We shall steal Kamoshida's heart!" announced Joker. "And put an end to his evil-doing."

The audience cheered.

He took off his top hat and bowed. Then he tossed it into the air. When it landed, it was no longer a hat, but a large puppet, vaguely shaped like Morgana's mascot form. The Joker-actor had his hand in the puppet's head, which looked more like Futaba's cat-bomb icon than Mona himself. He flapped open and closed the puppet's mouth, its body swinging limply as he did. Over the speakers, a new voice could be heard.

"Nya nya nya," it sounded low and digitized, but still like a laugh. "That's right! Awaken Phantom Thief Skull! Awaken Phantom Thief Sexy Cat!"

"...Sexy ...C-Cat?" Ann sputtered.

"I don't look like that!" Morgana added. "I don't sound like that! And what is this 'nya?'"

Futaba snickered. "I don't know. Seems 'bout right."

The two actors ripped off their uniforms to reveal spandex outfits, similar to the one worn by Joker under his coat, only instead of black, Skull's was bright yellow with a red neckerchief and Sexy Cat's was bright pink and adorned with a short gold-trimmed skirt and tail. Without coats, one could see a gold and white swirl on their chests, styled as if done with two well-saturated flat brushes. Gold and white racing stripes ran up their sides. They wore forearm-length gloves, with white and gold trim similar to their boots. Once their costumes were revealed, they completed their motion by putting on their masks, which were again similar to the originals, but oversized and solid in color to match their costumes.

Skull struck a pose with one fist in the air. Sexy Cat twisted, sticking out her rear and raising her arms with bent-elbows and wrists, mimicking cat paws. Joker jumped off of the boxes, flipping in mid-air. When he landed between his new companions, plumes of smoke shot up from the edges of the stage.

"I don't stand like that..." Ann hissed through grit teeth.

"Relax," Futaba took one hand off her knees and waved it dismissively. "It's not really you."

"I want to see what I look like!" Haru's hands were balled up in front of her.

From there, the 'Phantom Thieves' started fighting the surrounding spandex-clad foes. Volleyballs flew, none hitting the heroes. Afterwards it was all kicks and punches and flips and in the case of Sexy Cat, exaggerated hip bumps. The main characters eventually ejected all the no-names from the stage.

"I don't fight like that." Ann frowned.

"Eh... at least it's interesting," Futaba rested her chin in her palm. "This is otherwise some pretty run-of-the-mill choreography."

"Maybe they're savin' the good stuff for later?" suggested Ryuji.

"I hope so," whispered Futaba.

Twin plumes of pale orange smoke shot from the cubes upon which Joker entered. From them appeared a large man in salmon-colored spandex with a fur-trimmed red cape. He wore an oversized foam costume from his chest up, widening his shoulders and giving him a big cartoonish head with a massive chin and a golden crown. At the center of the prosthetic chest was a large, red heart-shaped costume gem.

"That's surprisin'ly accurate," said Ryuji.

"Too accurate if you ask me!" moaned Ann.

The crowned man pointed at the Phantom Thieves. "You may have defeated my minions, but you won't defeat me!"

"Steal his heart to seal his powers!" The Mona-puppet was back in Joker's hands.

The Kamoshida actor jumped from the platform and raised his hands menacingly. Joker tossed the Mona-puppet off stage and began trading blows with the enemy boss. More minions appeared from the sides but they were held back by Skull and Sexy Cat.

"Um, I'm not really following the plot here." A crease formed between Makoto's brows. "What is that gem? How do they know what to do?"

"Don't think too hard Makoto. The action is what these shows are really about." Futaba looked over her shoulder briefly before returning her gaze to the stage. "Though, these guys could use some work. That punch didn't even look like it connected!"

It may not have looked like it connected, but the Kamoshida actor was on the floor, propping himself up on his thighs and arms. Joker snatched the heart gem off of his chest and raised it high above his head. The audience once again cheered.

"Kamoshida has been defeated!" shouted Joker. "Now that we have your heart, you must confess your crimes! Skull! Sexy Cat! Take him away!"

The two Phantom Thieves hoisted Kamoshida by his arms and dragged him off stage.

"Oooh, I always wondered how that went down." Haru tilted her head to one side, raising a finger by her cheek.

"It's not!" Ann, Morgana, and Ryuji all said in unison.

As the main stage cleared, another two smoke plumes, this time dark blue and light gray, shot from a platform at the right of the stage. It was four cubes high with a railing on the sides facing the rest of the stage. An actress leaned against the railing while another actor stood a few steps behind her. They had similar outfits to the Phantom Thieves but with silver highlights instead of gold and a plain belt buckle instead of the well-known calling card.

The woman was cast in dark blue and adorned with a long black scarf, a large metallic mask, and huge caps on her shoulders with comically-sized spikes sticking out of them.

The man was in white spandex with a short red cape. His mask was bright red with a long pointy cone sticking out from his nose.

"Shoulder Pads, you must try this cake!" The actor in white held up a prop plate with a slice of cake larger than their heads. He turned his face to the audience and declared, "I love sweets!"

"How dare you Prince Detective! I'm watching my figure!" Shoulder Pads snapped, putting a single hand on her hip as if to emphasize her waist. "Anyway, I must capture the Phantom Thieves to prove my justice!"

The audience booed.

"I guess it's all mine then," the actor smiled. He picked up the cake, which was clearly made of foam, tossed it in the air, and mimed catching it with his mouth.

"You sicken me!" Shoulder Pads tossed her scarf over her shoulder, folded her arms, and looked away.

Makoto squeaked. "Is... is that me?"

"Looks like it," Futaba chuckled.

"They make me seem so stiff and humorless," Makoto frowned.

"I dunno Makoto," Ryuji was grinning. "Don't seem too far off."

Shoulder Pads raised a fist before her face, gripping it so tightly it shook enough to be seen even from where the real Phantom Thieves were sitting. "I will show them my fist of justice!"

Makoto looked down to find Ryuji, Ann, and Futaba all looking at her with smug grins. She looked over to Ren. He adjusted his glasses as he looked away.

The tower where Shoulder Pads and Prince Detective stood dimmed. Lights appeared across the main stage area once more, this time with a yellow cast. The show was moving onto the next villain, Madarame. He wore a shimmery gold kimono and like Kamoshida, he had a big heart gem on his chest. This time, the only foam part of his costume was an oversized head, this one stuck open-mouthed with rivers of tears coming from his eyes. After just enough monologuing to setup the situation, he sent waves of minions, also in shimmering gold.

Joker and Skull were alone on stage after finishing off one set of nobodies. The next set started to approach from both sides, with the same slow, exaggerated walk from before.

"There's no end to them!" shouted Skull.

Joker brought out the Mona-puppet again. "Nya! You'll have to use that!"

"Bakeneko is right!" said Joker. "We'll have to use our pair sonar!"

"I'm not a Bakeneko!" Morgana pouted.

Yusuke squinted. "Did they just say-"

Joker and Skull joined their inner hands and raised their outer ones. Stage ninja, dressed in the same ruddy color as the background, pushed out two large black tubs with cloth dragging behind them.

In unison, the actors shouted, "PAIR SONAR!"

From the tubs, large cloth tubes shot up, writhing in the air generated by internal fans. It was the same technology as the tube men used to advertise pachinko parlors or shopping arcades, except instead of a friendly face, there were monsters painted on them. The one behind Joker was red and black and looked like a dragon. The one behind Skull was yellow and looked, not surprisingly, like a skull.

"Don't underestimate my sonic wave!" yelled Skull. "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Even at the back of the auditorium it was loud. The team covered their ears. Morgana hid under his paws.

The enemy stuntmen mimed being pushed back off stage.

"Um... that's... " Futaba let her hands fall when the 'sonic wave' was finished. "That's certainly something..."

"That's not even what sonar means..." Makoto brought her palm to her forehead.

"They got the volume right though," Haru giggled into her hand.

"I'm not that loud!" protested Ryuji.

Several members of the audience sitting near the team turned to look in Ryuji's direction, startled by his exclamation.

Makoto raised her hand straight in front of her chest, signaling an apology to those around them. "Um... Sorry..."

Back on the stage, a new wave of foes appeared.

"It's not enough!" exclaimed Skull. "We need more help!"

"Right here!" Sexy Cat called from a stack of cubes to the left. She was standing with her back to the audience, leaning slightly, her torso twisted enough to see her bust.

"That looks super uncomfortable," said Futaba.

Ann grimaced.

"And I've brought help!" Sexy Cat continued.

After a jet of blue smoke, another Phantom Thief appeared, this one wearing bright blue, a blue fox mask, and an extremely fluffy white tail wrapped in red ribbon, easily twice the size of the real thing.

Yusuke grunted. "They've made a mockery of my foxtail!"

"Oooh, I wonder what they'll do with my hat," said Haru.

Makoto directed a whisper at Ren. "But that would mean..."

Ren nodded through an anxious frown.

The blue Phantom Thief stepped forward and raised his outstretched hand to the audience. "I am the Phantom Thief Abura-age! I beseech thee, end thy evil-doing now or taste the fury of my fox arts!"

With that, Sexy Cat and Abura-age leapt down, joining Skull and Joker. The four struck another pose.

"It's Go Time!" shouted Joker.

"Go... Time...?" Makoto repeated.

Ren rubbed the back of his neck with his palm.

Another fight sequence broke out. Abura-age used his generous foxtail to bludgeon a few enemies, earning him laughs from the children in the audience.

"How undignified!" Yusuke complained.

Sexy Cat and Abura-age both debuted their air tube 'pair sonars' as well, pink with a tiger face and blue with a fox spirit respectively. Several enemies threw themselves back each time a cloth-tube shot into the air.

After the Phantom Thieves vanquished the waves of henchmen and took Madarame's heart, focus returned to the high platform on the right. Shoulder Pads and Prince Detective looked down upon the now-unlit main stage, which was being reset by stage staff dressed in all black.

"How dare those Phantom Thieves steal hearts!" exclaimed Shoulder Pads. "Have they no sense of justice?!"

Prince Detective shrugged. "At least they have a sense of style!"

"Grr! I'll fight them on my own!" Shoulder Pads stalked off towards the back side of the platform.

Makoto grimaced. "That doesn't make any sense. What justice?"

Ren slipped his arm around her, his fingers curling around her upper arm. He gave her a reassuring tug.

She looked over at him, frowned, and shrugged his off his hand.

Prince Detective watched as Shoulder Pads left. When she was gone, he took out another slice of cake. "More for me!"

He leaned over the railing. "I wonder what will happen next."

Makoto glanced over at Ren.

His hands were back in his lap, but upon seeing her, he lifted his hand once again and pinched a bit of her shirt fabric, giving it a light tug while he leaned forward, looking up at her over his glasses and smiling playfully.

A smile crept up Makoto's cheeks in return. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she exhaled. When she opened them, the main stage was ready, this time cast in green.

At the center, atop a cube, was an actor in an inflatable sumo costume, printed to look like a men's suit rather than typical sumo gear. The signature heart gem was affixed to his chest area. Unlike the previous villains, the actor did not have a foam head, making his real head seem absurdly small compared to the rest of him.

"There's the villainous mob boss, Kaneshiro!" Skull pointed as the Phantom Thieves ran in from stage left. "Let's steal his heart!"

"They're really giving up on the dialogue now aren't they?" said Ryuji.

"It's for the best," said Futaba.

"You'll have to get through the best money can buy!" Kaneshiro retorted. He raised his hands in the air, flinging paper bills as stunt henchmen appeared from the back of the stage, the fake money fluttering around them.

"Not a problem!" shouted Skull.

"It's Go Time!" shouted Joker.

Ren visibly winced.

"Not so fast!" Shoulder Pads appeared from the other side of the stage, her right arm stretched out before her, palm facing towards the Thieves. "Stealing is wrong! I'm here to bring you to justice, Phantom Thieves!"

The crowd booed.

"We're stealin' the bad and leavin' the good!" shouted Skull as he crossed his arms and leaned with his chest held high.

"It's everything that heroes should!" Sexy Cat crossed her arms and jutted her hip to one side, standing back to back with Skull. Her twin tails whooshed with her sudden motion.

"We'll see about that!" Shoulder Pads raised her fist.

"Looks like we'll have to battle them both," said Joker.

"A battle on two fronts?!" Abura-age brought his hands to his cheeks. "Mayhaps I should have had two lunches!"

"I really should have..." Yusuke put his hand on his stomach and looked down, furrowing his brow.

Futaba groaned and rolled her eyes. "Inari..."

The action began in haste. Both the Phantom Thieves and Shoulder Pads were fighting off the anonymous stuntmen that formed Kaneshiro's army, slowly making their way closer to the center of the stage. The Phantom Thieves continued as they had before, with Abura-age using his tail, Sexy Cat doing high kicks and hip bumps, and Joker performing eye-catching flips. Shoulder Pads made exaggerated punching motions, grunting loudly with each one. She also tossed some enemies over her shoulder and off stage.

Kaneshiro's mercenaries were still coming by the time they met in the middle. Shoulder Pads' punches and grunts, practically growls at this point, were even more exaggerated as she went after Joker, who dodged her easily with flips and taunts, a grin spread wide across his face.

The fighting among the rest of the team and Kaneshiro's hired help was downplayed. From time to time, a faceless fighter would approach Joker or Shoulder Pads, but each would effortlessly dismiss the intruder with nary a look.

Suddenly, a child's cry pierced the chaos. "Save my mom!"

The Phantom Thieves, Shoulder Pads, and the faceless fighters all stopped.

Kaneshiro laughed heartily and shouted as he pointed his hand out at the audience. "Make sure they all pay their debts!"

Spotlights shined on clusters of seats near the stage. A few of Kaneshiro's goons were out on the auditiorium floor, holding audience members, parents it appeared, by their upper arms. A woman in the venue's uniform was holding a microphone to a small child, the likely source of the cry.

The Phantom Thieves and Shoulder Pads looked at each other and nodded in unison.

They launched off the stage, each towards a different spotlight. When they reached the child with the kidnapped parent, they knelt down and conversed with them.

Shoulder Pads made a punching motion, having the kid mimic her.

Abura-age let his child wield his tail.

Joker mimed a slashing motion.

"Ready?" Joker's voice called over the sound system.

Together, the chosen children, along with their helper Thief, "attacked" the henchperson and freed their parent. Young voices shouted "Fist of Justice!" and "It's Go Time!"

"Hey, that's not a bad gimmick," said Futaba.

"I knew we shoulda sat up front!" Ryuji whined.

With the audience members safe, the Phantom Thieves chased off the hired goons and returned to the stage.

"Well!" Shoulder Pads put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. "I guess you're not all bad."

She flipped her scarf over her shoulder.

"Kaneshiro's the real bad guy!" shouted Skull.

"Won't you join us?" Sexy Cat reach out her hand.

Shoulder Pads raised a fist in front of her face and made a pert nod. "As long as you're on the side of justice!"

The team rushed the center platform where Kaneshiro stood. Skull, Sexy Cat, and Abura-age all bounced off of his inflatable fat suit, but Joker was able to snatch the gem. He held it up high above his head as the audience cheered.

The main stage went black and the side platform was lit again. This time, only Prince Detective was present.

"Ah too bad, Shoulder Pads failed," he shrugged, his arms making a 'W'. "Looks like I'll have to take care of them myself."

The audience booed.

"What's that?" Prince Detective put his hand up by his ear, pointing it at the crowd.

The audience booed louder.

"Oh, I thought I heard something," he shrugged again. "But maybe not."

The audience booed even louder. Small children were standing up, straining themselves to produce more sound.

"Yeah! BOOOOOOOO!" Ryuji raised a fist. "BOOOOOOO ya jerk!"

"Ryuji!" Ann reached over and swatted at him.

"Music to my ears!" Prince Detective stretched. He looked down at the main stage. It was still dark, but the stagehands had finished their work. "But let's see how they handle this first..."

When the lights returned to the central area, a man in copper-colored spandex was on the center platform. A giant square computer chip, tilted on its side, started from the top of his chest and extended well above where his head would be. The large printed circuits glimmered in copper. On his chest, right below one corner of the chip, was his bright red heart gem.

Beneath him, on the main stage, the five phantom thieves stood backs to each other. They were surrounded by stunt actors in copper spandex like their leader.

The man on the platform crossed his arms and his upper body shook like he was laughing. "I've got you now Phantom Thieves! You're no match for MEDJED! We are true justice!"

"No you're not!" Shoulder Pads shouted back. "My fist is true justice!"

Makoto buried her face in her hands.

"We'll see about that!" The MEDJED leader thrust his hand out over the stage. His hoard of copper-clad fighters attacked the Phantom Thieves.

The heroes maintained their position, their punches and kicks sending the grunts flying back.

Some merely slid back away as they fell.

Others were sent into the air, tumbling as they hit the stage.

When one wave was done, another would run in from the sides.

"There's no end to them!" shouted Sexy Cat.

"We're in trouble!" shouted Skull.

"I'm hungry!" shouted Abura-age.

"KE KE KE KE!" a voice echoed from the left.

A spotlight shined on the left-most platform, three cubes above the main stage. Upon it was a small table with a laptop. 'Sitting' on an office chair, facing the laptop, was a mass of blankets wrapping... something. Where the blankets parted were an oversized pair of red goggles.

"Wait..." Futaba leaned in. "Is that...?"

"Is that a puppet?" Haru squinted.

"It is I," the voice continued. "Phantom Thief Goggles!"

"Another Phantom Thief?" Sexy Cat put her hand over her chest and stepped back, miming shock. "Are you here to fight?"

"What?" the blanket-puppet jumped in her seat. "That sounds like work. I just want to sit all day at my computer and play games."

The parents in the audience tittered.

The rest of the Phantom Thieves made exaggerated sighing motions in unison, garnering more laughter from the crowd.

Ann nudged Futaba with her elbow. "Not so fun when it's you, is it?"

"Whaddaya mean?" Futaba turned, her teeth glistening through her wide smile. "Goggles is living the dream!"

Makoto looked over. "Futaba, that's a bit..."

"I can't wait to see what they do with me!" Haru leaned forward in anticipation.

Back on stage, Shoulder Pads shouted at Goggles. "Then what are you doing here?"

"I don't need to fight to thieve!" The puppet rotated quickly from side-to-side, as if shaking her head. "Everything can be solved with the Internet!"

Loud clacking sounds came over the speakers as Goggles hopped in her chair from side to side.

"1, 2, 3... HACKING!" she called.

The henchman that were surrounding the team stopped, their arms in the air, elbows bent at right angles. They shook in place, as if they were stuck by an electric current.

"Now's your chance!"

At Goggles' mark, the rest of the Phantom Thieves sprung into action, easily tossing aside their "hacked" foes.

"Steal his heart Joker!" yelled Skull.

Joker did just that, adding a half-twist to his usual flip and grabbing the gem as the MEDJED leader fell to his knees. Holding it in the air, Joker shouted, "Everyone is safe from the threat of MEDJED!"

The audience cheered. Along with their applause was an isolated clap echoing over the speakers. The right platform lit up, revealing Prince Detective's slow clapping motion.

The lighting on the main stage dimmed, leaving only a spotlight on Joker. If one concentrated, they could see actors exiting and stagehands cleaning in the darkness.

"I'm impressed Phantom Thieves," Prince Detective was leaning on the railing, facing Joker. "You have taken down a ruthless villain."

"Who are you?" Joker called back.

"I am Prince Detective," he took a step back and bowed with a flourish. "Like you, I too seek to help those in need."

A small voice cried from a few rows in front of Ren and the others. "Don't believe him! He's lying!"

"Awww," Ann giggled.

"Nya!" Joker manipulated the Bakeneko puppet. "We haven't seen you before!"

"That's because I work alone. I handle the cases you do not," Prince Detective shrugged and paced atop his cube. "However... this time I have a case that's too big for just me."

"What are you saying?" asked Joker.

"I'm saying we should team up, just this once." He held up a single finger. "There's a strong villain, manipulating things from the shadows, stealing the livelihoods of people in the worst way possible."

"How?"

"Statistics." Prince Detective stated with a smile.

The lights on the main stage went bright again and the pillar spotlight was cut. Joker was now standing among collections of brightly-lit neon signs with slogans like 'Try Your Luck' and '$$$' and 'Jackpot.' The rest of his team surrounded him.

"What is this?" Skull looked from side to side.

"A casino," Prince Detective entered the main stage. "What else?"

Silver-clad henchmen appeared from both sides of the stage. They chanted in unison. "Want to play a game? You can win big! It only costs a little!"

"Yes," Prince Detective continued. "This is the illegal gambling hall of the mob boss-"

Shoulder Pads gasped as the spotlight shone on the center cube tower. "Spikey Bra, my sister, what are you doing here?"

Spikey Bra wore silver spandex with a similar design to the skirted Phantom Thief outfit, but sleeveless and with a neckline that plunged rather than going all the way up. Her lips were painted a deep purple. Rather than a mask, she had a giant silver hat with oversized yellow roses on the brim. Finishing her look was an armored bustier and gauntlets with long spikes sticking out from them. Right under her cleavage was the large heart gem.

Makoto looked at Ren and spoke in low, but forceful tones. "We will never, ever mention this to my sister."

Ren's eyes were wide. "Agreed."

"That's right!" Prince Detective pointed at their new foe. "The mob boss, Spikey Bra!"

"You may be my sister," Shoulder Pads raised a fist. "But if you're truly a mob boss cheating people out of their money, you must be stopped!"

"Oh my, you caught me," Spikey Bra put her hands up, palms facing the team. Then suddenly, she pointed towards the audience. "Wait, what's that?! I think it's your justice!"

"Where?!" Shoulder Pads spun around. The rest of the Phantom Thieves followed.

When they turned back, Spikey Bra had vanished.

"She escaped!" exclaimed Sexy Cat.

"But how?" asked Abura-age.

Spikey Bra's voice called over the speakers. "Get them, my dealers!"

"Looks like we'll have to fight our way through!" said Joker.

The grunts who had previously been extolling the casino games charged at the team from both sides. Once again the audience was treated to Joker's flips, Sexy Cat's hips, Shoulder Pads' punches, and Abura-age's tail. Prince Detective was slyly side-stepping any attacks aimed his way, letting the foes run into each other.

The air tubes for the 'pair sonars' were wheeled out a couple times, once for Joker and once for Shoulder Pads, revealing the latter's to be silver with a robot face. However, the focus was on the more traditional stunts.

"With this many people, it's hard to see what's going on." Yusuke had his hands out in front of him, his fingers forming a picture frame.

"Yeah, they should have found a reason to split the party," said Futaba. "They've got too many characters for this stage."

"Wait..." Haru sat up straight. The skin between her brows wrinkled and her lips turned downward. "Shouldn't... shouldn't I have appeared by now?"

The other Phantom Thieves shifted uncomfortably.

Futaba put a hand on Haru's shoulder and patted it a few times. She laughed nervously as she spoke. "They probably had their reasons..."

Haru's eyes narrowed as her lower lip jutted out in a full pout.

After the initial rush of goons, extras only appeared from the right. Stagehands slowly wheeled the neon signs to the left, giving the illusion that the Phantom Thieves were moving down a long hallway. The effect continued until they caught up to Spikey Bra. She was standing on the same stack of two cubes as before.

Spikey Bra raised the back of her wrist to her face and leaned back. "You've defeated all my dealers!"

"Your luck's just run out!" Joker jumped up the smaller cubes to reach the villain while the rest of the Phantom Thieves gathered to watch. In one quick motion, he snatched her heart gem from right atop her breasts.

Ren grit his teeth, his eyes shifting to Makoto.

She didn't seem to notice.

"No!" Sexy Bra screamed before disappearing into the curtains behind her.

Joker held the heart up.

The audience, as well as the rest of the Joker's team, cheered, save for Prince Detective who stood off to the side of the stage. He grabbed a newly wheeled-out lever arm that was sticking up from the floor. A curtain unfurled from the rafters. It was made of evenly placed black strips, mimicking jail cell bars. A metal clanging sound from the speakers completed the effect.

"What?" exclaimed Sexy Cat. Like the rest of the team, she was looking around the newly formed cell.

"We're trapped!" shouted Skull.

"Hahahaha!" Prince Detective threw his shoulders back and laughed. "You've fallen into my trap, Phantom Thieves!"

"Prince Detective! But why?!" Abura-age was clutching his big fluffy tail like a security blanket.

"This is all for Shido!" Prince Detective replied. "He will be the one to lead this country to greatness!"

The audience booed.

"It's nice they're on our side now," said Makoto.

Ren nodded.

Prince Detective left the stage. The lights dimmed slightly, but not too low. The Phantom Thieves were still visible, pacing around their cage, 'rattling' the bars, trying to find a way out.

Their enemy reappeared on the same tower of cubes where he had spent most of the interstitials. Already leaning on the railing was another villain with a big, bald foam head and oversized orange-tinted glasses—Shido. The representation of the former prime minister was wearing a loosely-fitting suit, awkward in the same way as the earlier Shujin uniforms. A big heart gem was affixed to the center of his tie.

"I have taken care of the Phantom Thieves, as well as those pesky sisters," said Prince Detective.

"How so?" asked Shido as he turned away from the railing to speak face-to-face.

"I have them caged for now," Prince Detective replied. "They won't be able to mess with our plans."

A spotlight appeared on the opposing cube-pillar, revealing Goggles once more. A soft snicker was broadcast over the speakers. The Phantom Thieves looked up towards her.

The conversation resumed on the right.

"Is it secure?" asked Shido.

"Exceptionally," said Prince Detective.

Clacking sounds came over the sound system as the Goggles puppet shook vigorously. The curtain of bars began to slowly lift.

Children in the audience began to murmur and point, some tugging on their parents sleeves to get their attention.

"Shhhhh..." Goggles turned to the crowd.

The children complied and began shushing each other.

Shido continued speaking. "Take me to them. I can't leave any loose ends before the election!"

Before the curtain was even a meter off the ground, the Phantom Thieves ducked under it, escaping off the left side of the stage. When they were through, the bars lowered again and the spotlight on Goggles faded.

"Of course sir," Prince Detective made a shallow bow. "Follow me."

The two villains disappeared off the right pillar. They reappeared on the same side of the main stage, along with several henchmen in bright gold spandex. A spotlight tracked them, leaving most of the area dim.

"Here they are sir." Prince Detective raised his arm towards the center of the stage.

The lights went up, revealing the empty cell.

"What?! Prince Detective raised one of his forearms before his chest and took a half step back. "Where are they? It must be a trick! They must be in there somewhere!"

"No jail can hold us!" Skull was pointing at them from the other side of the stage, the rest of the Phantom Thieves with him. Even Goggles' platform was lit.

"You'll find we're quite free," Abura-age crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his weight to one leg.

"And ready to mete out justice!" Shoulder Pads raised her fists.

"I'll make sure everyone sees it!" Goggles rocked in her chair.

"Come and get it!" Sexy Cat balled her hands into paws and leaned towards the enemies, arching her back.

"It's Go Time!" Joker slashed at the air, finishing the team's battle pose.

Shido turned to Prince Detective. "You've failed me for the last time! Guards!"

Two of the henchmen grabbed Prince Detective by the arms as Shido ripped off his suit, revealing a padded muscle costume. It was not as outlandish as his giant foam head, but still quite over-the-top. The heart gem remained, stuck to the center of his ridiculously plump pectoral muscles. He unleashed a bevy of punches. Prince Detective fell to the ground.

Shido turned to the Phantom Thieves and pointed. "You're next!"

The two forces ran towards each other. At the same time, a pair of stagehands dragged Prince Detective off the stage.

"Did Akechi just... die?" Ann tilted her head.

"You know, it was really unclear," Ryuji shook his head.

The clash at center stage was even more frenzied than the one before. Each Phantom Thief was leaning heavily on their signature styles—be it flips, punches, bludgeons, or taunts. Goggles 'hacked' any henchmen that got close to her pillar.

Several 'pair sonars' were wheeled out. Whenever the cloth tube shot into the air, plumes of matching-colored smoke shot from the cubes behind it. The accompanying sound effects were even louder than before.

Each thief had a moment front and center, highlighting their prowess against the grunts.

Eventually the minions cleared out, leaving only Shido and Joker in the center. The rest of the Phantom Thieves formed a wide semi-circle around them, open to the audience, preventing escape and framing their fight.

Joker attacked with the same flips and flair as he had before, but Shido countered, often throwing his assailant off mid-flip. The Phantom Thief managed to land each time, but wasn't make much headway. Shido's attacks were not as acrobatic, focusing more on throws, though he did push off the cubes from time-to-time.

"Not bad," said Ryuji. "These must be their best dudes."

"Eh... I give a six out of ten," Futaba shrugged. "Though... Joker's got it tough flipping around in that long coat."

The effects had stopped, but the music swelled to underscore the importance of the fight.

After a few near misses from each side, earning "ooohs" from the audience, Joker began another set of handsprings towards Shido. However, this time he ended with a flip that purposefully missed his enemy. When Shido turned around to see what had happened, he was met by an uppercut as Joker sprang from his landing position. A loud crack was broadcast across the venue. Shido staggered around a few times before falling to the floor.

Joker knelt down and grabbed the heart gem, raising it into the air. He was met by a roar of applause from the crowd.

"We've defeated the mastermind Shido!" Joker declared, his voice magnified over the cheers of the audience. "Now the world is safe from his evil ways!"

The Phantom Thieves all came forward and stood in a line.

"Until next time!" Joker and the rest of the team bowed. Plumes of colored smoke representing each of them shot from the front of the stage. When the smoke cleared, the Phantom Thieves were gone.

The audience continued clapping well after the house lights came on.

"Is that the end?" Haru blinked a few times, still clapping like some of the audience members, but without much force behind it.

"Seems like it," said Ryuji. He laced his hands behind his head and leaned back.

"It seems rather... abrupt," she looked over at the others. "Don't you think?"

"The plot did seem rather thin," Makoto added.

"Eh, it's all about the fighting and the effects," said Futaba.

"Really?" Haru brought a finger to her chin. "People seem quite invested in Featherma-"

"That's different!" Futaba rocked forward and sat straight up. "Featherman has episodes to develop the story and characters and real settings and post-production! This is a one-sitting knock-off stage show. It's completely different!"

"I see," Haru smiled as she scooted a little further away from her friend. "Sounds nice."

"You should check it out!" Futaba urged. "It's much better than this!"

"Hey, it wasn't all bad," said Ryuji. "We were pretty cool in the end, weren't we?"

Ann frowned as she crossed her legs, folded her arms, and hunched over.

Makoto scrunched one side of her face, her eye nearly shutting.

Yusuke brushed his hair away from his forehead, only to have it fall back as he turned away.

Haru jutted out her bottom lip, her cheeks puffing.

Futaba chuckled. "Come on guys, he's right. We were the heroes. It's way better than how people treated us last year."

"Weren't you just putting down the production values?" asked Makoto.

"Yeah, it's not a Featherman show," Futaba replied. She raised one finger as her gaze rose to the ceiling. "But for a knock off, it exceeded my expectations."

"An' the kids seem to like it!" Ryuji gestured to the rest of the theater.

Families were filtering out. Small children were hopping up the stairs, punching the air, and babbling about their favorite parts. Several were wearing Phantom Thief masks.

"I'm not sure they really understood the point of all we did," Makoto pressed her lips together, the corners tugging downward.

"Are you saying they didn't understand your justice?" Ryuji grinned broadly.

Makoto's eyes narrowed.

"It's not like they understood before," Futaba leaned back in her seat again. "I wouldn't worry about it."

––––– ––––– –––––

Makoto and Ren walked along the water at Inokashira park. The team had parted ways after the show, allowing Makoto to put away her purchases and prepare a simple dinner for just the two of them. It was dark out by the time Ren arrived, and darker still by the time they decided to go out for an after-dinner walk.

It was clear out. The trees blocked just enough of the city lights to allow the stars to dominate the sky. The air was crisp to inhale, leaving as white puffs with each breath. The cold seemed to have driven away most park-goers, but didn't seem so bad between Makoto's favored pea coat and the heat radiating from Ren.

"You've been quiet," he said.

She shuddered a little, startled, before looking up at him. "Sorry... just lost in thought."

"Still bothered by the show?"

"Maybe a little..." She broke eye contact, turning her head down and away. "I know it's just a show... but..."

"But?"

"It's... unnerving..." She forced the words out, still unsure if they accurately described was she was feeling. "To find out all those people think all those things of me when they don't even know me."

"It's not you," Ren's voice was slow and even. "They don't even know your code name, let alone your real one."

"It isn't... and it is." Makoto pressed her lips together before exhaling a sigh. "It's still me, the entity, even if it can't really be associated with the me in society."

The couple walked a few more paces in silence.

"Is it like it was at Shujin?" asked Ren.

"Eh?" She looked up again.

"Beep boop." He tapped her on the nose and grinned.

She instinctively stopped walking as she brought both her hands to her nose.

"People thought some pretty wild things about you then too, if I recall," he said.

"O-oh," she let her hands drop to her sides. A pleasant warmth rose to her cheeks along with a small smile. "Th-that was different... those people at least knew me... they met me and formed their own opinions. They probably saw things about me I could not."

"Some of them maybe..." Ren slid his hands into his pockets as they started walking again. "But Eiko had ideas before she met you."

"Hmm... " she raised a hand to her chin. "I suppose you're right. I suppose in those other cases, I rarely found out. This time... This time it's staring me in the face... and on a much bigger scale."

"Yeah," Ren let his response hang for a few moments before continuing. "But just like those Shujin students, does it really matter what they think?"

"Well... what if Eiko always thought those things about me?" Makoto argued. "We might never have become friends."

"Eiko changed her mind when she met you." Ren removed his hands from his pockets. His inner hand found hers. "You won't become friends with everyone in that audience, sure... but you wouldn't have time for that anyway. You have plenty of people that know the real you and you're sure to find many more."

"I hope so," said Makoto. She smiled.

"I'm sure of it," said Ren. He gave her hand a tug. "Feel better?"

"Yeah," her smile widened. "Thanks Ren."

"Always." He nodded gently.

A step later, his eyes widened and his grip on her hand tightened, just for a moment.

When she looked up at him, he was looking away.

"Ren?" she asked.

"It's nothing," he said, eyes still averted.

"Really?"

"Really." He looked her in the eyes with a hint of a smile.

Makoto thought to question again, but closed her lips instead with a small nod, accepting his answer. His cheeks and what little flesh of his ears were visible through his hair were red. It was probably due to the cold, but just in case she didn't want to press. If it was something she needed to know, he would tell her.

Before she could formulate a change of subject, he spoke. "Can I kiss you?"

Makoto stopped mid-step and looked at him.

Did I hear that right?

His cheeks looked even rosier and his long lashes were cast down. It was rare to see him bashful.

So sudden...

She looked from side to side and then behind them. She didn't see anyone.

Maybe it would be okay...

Pushing away the nagging fears of breaking the rules or being seen, she turned back to him. "I'd like that."

They faced each other. He pressed one hand against the small of her back, the other on her shoulder blade, tenderly drawing her to him. She in turn rested her arms on his shoulders, helping to further decrease the distance.

It was always a delightful surprise how soft his lips were, how inviting his warmth. Slowly, gently, and together they deepened their connection. The anxieties and concerns of earlier were distant and irrelevant.


Author's Notes:

Epilogue 1: Makoto asks Akane-chan to do a "one with the feathered hat"-focused show for Haru's benefit.

Epilogue 2: Futaba sends Sojiro out the next day to buy the 1:1 scale Abura-age tail replica/cosplay item from the gift shop. She does not explain to him the context. While there, he finds Haru clutching a white plush with a red cape, mumbling something along the lines of "why does this voodoo doll get a big role when I'm not even in it?"

Epilogue 3: Makoto organizes a girl's night to watch Akane's new episode live. It is excellent.

The original spark for this fic was my falling in love with the rejected code name of a character in a P5 spinoff. She will always be "Mochi" to me. I began thinking about doing something with the other rejected code names. This led to the "public gets it wrong" idea of "The Ember Island Players" episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender. From there I started to muse about who would take what role and if it were even feasible, quickly deciding it worked better for me as an "inspired by" and not an AU or straight re-cast. The final snag was that a play felt too long and too difficult for me to get right. Once I landed on the twist of a sentai-style live show, the rest fell into place.

(Spikey Bra spelled that way in homage to Spikey Tiger, one tough boss!)

Sorry to be a stranger for so long folks. The pandemic has made severe demands on my time, attention, and energy. I continue to work on my writing, but it's been slow. Like many of you, I am so very tired. I really appreciate those of you who have reached out or supported me or my work during these tough times. Talking P5 always brings joy. I hope things turn for the better for all of us and I hope this one was a bit of fun brightness despite everything.