The shop Ryuji had recommended was one Makoto would definitely have stopped her from going to had she not known about it in advance. Down a narrow alley off Shibuya's central street, around a corner just to make sure no one who didn't know about it would find it, there was a shop. The windows displayed various camouflage jackets and hats, some protective masks, and a number of real-looking ammunition cases. The green neon lights above proudly proclaimed the store's name of Untouchable in green neon flourescent tube lights.

Rei glanced at Makoto nervously. "Maaaaaybe you should wait outside. Something about this place…"

Makoto was nonplussed. "I didn't think you were the great criminal who would know whether a store is up to something shady."

"Oh ha." Rei grumbled. "We already know this place sold airsoft guns to Ryuji. If they're hiding the merchandise in the shop…"

Makoto nodded. "Fair point."

Rei opened her bag. "Morgana, can you come in? Just in case?"

"Sure thing," The cat jumped into her bag and she opened the door. The eye was drawn to the boxed rifles along the wall, along with the lit display cases holding the handguns. The opposite wall held a number of the outfits from the displays outside, but Rei found her attention captured elsewhere. On the far wall, in two glass display cases, were a number of martial arts weapons. They didn't occupy a whole lot of the store's space, and as a result they were packed in tight, but even from across the room Rei could tell at least some of them were the real deal.

Completely distracted, she was at the neglected case in a flash. Military knives made up the bulk of it, but there were a couple of katana - obvious replicas, sadly - a tanto that she might be able to use, and…"Wait, is that?"

"Quit droolin', kid," A gruff voice said from the counter. Rei spun, embarrassed, and found herself looking over at the guy behind the laptop that was almost certainly the cash register. He was tall, and while she couldn't see his hairstyle with the cap he had on, his scruffy beard was obviously going gray, probably prematurely since he didn't look that old. He had on a gray trenchcoat over a black shirt. The most striking thing about him was the pair of bright yellow earmuffs that he had covering his temples, but she noticed the stick of a lollipop in his mouth and relaxed. Slightly. "Should a kid your age be interested in that stuff?"

"Passed my dan exam, so yes," Rei said, but went up to the counter. "Sorry, I was actually here about a rifle."

The man regarded her for a moment, then snorted. "Get lost. I can't sell to a kid."

"It's not for me, it's for my boyfriend. He was in here a couple of days ago, you sold to him." Rei countered. "It was actually pretty nice, but I wanted to surprise him for his birthday."

The man raised an eyebrow. "You know a place that'll let you play?"

Rei shrugged. "A place, no. But there's games that don't check ID if you know where to look, right?"

The man looked at her a moment longer, then got up from behind the counter and went, not in back, but to the case she had been looking at. He opened it and pulled out the items she had been particularly interested in, a pair of tonfa. "Talk ta me about these."

Rei eyed him sidelong, but grabbed them by the proffered handles and spun them a couple of times, before jabbing out with each hilt. "Wow...not pine, that's for sure. They're pretty heavy….steel reinforcement under the wood?"

The man seemed impressed. "Not bad, girl. Obviously, this isn't the main line, but I stock this stuff for some of my special customers because there's a cross-interest." He held out his hand and she passed them back, noting with some envy how much more easily he handled them. "Tell ya what. Your boyfriend was pretty adamant that what ya wanted had ta look real. For today, pick out what you think is the best replica and you can buy it. If you can pick something good, well, maybe next time I can open up the rare stock."

Rei grinned. "Okay, you're on. No internet, I'm guessing?"

The shopkeeper grinned at her. "You catch on quick, but I'm not totally heartless. Got a strategy in mind?"

Rei nodded. "He's a little worried about my upper body strength, hence the handgun. So he wants something he can hang back with. That calls for a rifle, right?"

After some discussion, three replicas were laid out on the table. Rei looked at each carefully, picking it up and handling it. She was very careful not to point them at the shopkeeper. "Okay, so these use those clip things...what are they actually called?"

"Magazines," The man grunted. "And yeah, no way you're getting a loaded weapon, but points for asking. Points off for not making sure before you put your finger over the trigger. My custom work may not be real guns, but you could still put someone's eye out or land'em in the hospital with good aim."

"Gotcha…" Rei said, testing how the first gun felt. "Hmm...that lever. You pull that back to shoot?" Another nod, and Rei set it down. "Hanging back's good, but I don't think Ryuji wants to be that far back." She tried the next one. "...shotgun. No good, he's likely to hit me, and that's even if it's actually a working weapon instead of a model. Neat, but maybe for his collection, not the field." The man's expression betrayed nothing, so Rei moved on. "...okay, this seems more like it. A bit heavier than the pistol, but...stable. I bet it fires faster than the first one." She set it down. "Okay, I'll take this one…" Her eyes trailed down, and she noticed a shiny, chromed model revolver directly underneath. "Oh, hey, that's a Colt...something, right? The one you always see in those American cop movies?"

"Colt Official Police. Yeah, that's the one. Real classic." The man said, raising an eyebrow.

Rei smiled. "I've got a friend who would be really into that. It's just a model, right?"

The man seemed to consider it. "Well, can't exactly say you know your stuff, but you're a quick study and you seem to be enjoying it. Don't make me regret this." He handed her two boxes. "Don't go flashing those around."

"...okay, I think...I think...we're all stocked up for tomorrow," Rei said, her voice panting. She staggered from side to side, under the weight of not just the fake guns, but an entire stack of medical supplies picked up from the drug store at the far end of the street. Morgana was still following, because Rei's book bag was filled to overflowing with more bottles of tea and cans of juice.

Makoto just stared at the girl. She wasn't the only one, as everyone who saw it had to either get out of the way or be run into. When that finally happened, she put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Okay, that's enough. I have questions."

"Shoot," Rei said. "Wait, poor choice of words."

Makoto closed her eyes. "Rei, I'm not entirely sure where to start. Where are you getting the money for all this? Model guns? All this medicine?"

Rei sighed. "It's...it's what's left of my transition money." Makoto gasped. "I know, I know, but it doesn't do me any good if I'm locked up before I'm twenty. I'll leave the college fund for last, but…"

Makoto and Morgana stared at each other in shock. "Okay…" Makoto said, trailing off into uncertainty

Morgana picked it up. "I don't think we should go back tomorrow." Rei gave him a betrayed look. "Rei, you're exhausted!"

"Nothing...nothing a good night's sleep won't fix." Rei protested.

Makoto nodded. "Perhaps. But Morgana's right. What difference will one day make?"

"What difference will one day make to Mishima?" Rei countered. "What about Suzui? Takamaki?" Makoto and Morgana both winced. "Anyway, that's what the chamomile is for. Assuming Igor doesn't bug me again tonight, I should be fine tomorrow. I really hope." She sighed. "Okay, okay, I promise we can revisit this tomorrow afternoon."

Makoto nodded. "Okay. Anyway, give me the guns." Rei thought about it, then sighed and gave her the bag. "I'll put them together tonight and we can stash them in a locker."

"Actually," Morgana said. "Looks like it's time for me to pass on more of my wisdom." He led them down another alley, before jumping on a box that had been left out behind a restaurant. "Rei, you already discovered your pouch holds a whole ton of stuff in the Metaverse, right?"

Rei nodded. "That's right, but it all popped back out when I returned to reality."

Morgana nodded. "That was because you needed it, but all we have to do is go to the Metaverse and store it with the intent to leave it there."

Rei shrugged, and quickly pulled out her phone. "Uhm….Can we use this without triggering Kamoshida's place?"

Morgana nodded. "In this case, all you need is a destination. This one's special. Just enter 'Mementos' without a target." Rei did so, and the crowds just outside the alleyway vanished.

Rei was suddenly grinning broadly. "Hey, this is convenient!" Her two companions looked at her, puzzled. "I bet the subways in the Metaverse aren't nearly as crowded. And no one cares if you jump the turnstile."

Makoto laughed, but Morgana just chuckled nervously. "Uhm, for today, let's leave that alone? I'm not saying we can't use the Metaverse that way, but there are Shadows down there."

"Well, as long as they're not charging train fares," Rei said jokingly, but she didn't push further and just started stuffing things into her hip pouch. Morgana quickly joined in as she thought of something. "You know, as long as we're in private, why don't you tell us more about what Shadows are?"

"Well…" Morgana said. "Okay, this is kinda a deep dive, but you two are pretty smart. The Shadow is the part of humans that carries their emotions, especially all the emotions they want to subconsciously hide. For most people, their Shadows aren't a big deal. Everyone technically has one, but most of them are just kinda...background noise. Their negative emotions break off in the Metaverse and eventually distill into the nameless Shadows we see, which reflect everyone's desires and fears.

"But!" Morgana suddenly exclaimed. "Sometimes a person's desires take on a life of their own, and that's when the Shadow manifests in the Metaverse independently. Once that happens, the Shadow starts influencing the person to act on their negative emotions, which then makes the Shadow stronger. If that's not stopped…"

"The Metaverse school turns into a castle and the gym teacher starts molesting and harassing students," Makoto finished.

Morgana grinned, looking at a bottle of caffeine pills for a second before shrugging and putting them away. "Pretty much. You can stop it in the real world, but if no one bothers, well...that's what Phantom Thieves like us are here for."

Makoto and Rei both stopped cold for a moment. Up to this point, Rei knew she had only been thinking seriously as far as Kamoshida, and a glance at Makoto told her she'd been thinking the same. Sure, Rei had promised to go to the depths of the Metaverse afterwards, but until now that had been a distant thing, something to be handled once they were safe and she had a handle on this business. And Makoto hadn't even agreed to that.

Rei closed her eyes. "Doing this...after Kamoshida…"

Makoto sighed. "I don't - "

Rei sighed. "I...I'll try, but I need to find some better way to balance my time. I need money to make up for what we lost here…"

Morgana grinned. "Oh, don't worry about that. When we head to Kamoshida's Palace I'll show you something good."

That night, Rei did, in fact, sleep better. When she woke up that morning, though, it was to Morgana snuggled up against her. Normally she wouldn't have minded, but the decidedly male-identifying cat, plus his obvious attraction to Ann, had put her off a little in this case. Deal with keeping him warm and comfortable in here after we get Chief to let him stay here. She gently prodded him. "Hey, you're all right with this plan, right?"

Morgana stretched. "Just leave it to me."

Rei nodded, opening the window and discreetly checking. If anyone saw, the jig would be up. "So you climb down here, then come in the front door when I open it, purr and rub up against my legs, right?"

"Demeaning, but if it gets me a stable place to stay in this world I'll go for it." Morgana said, before jumping out the window. Rei stretched and made her own way down to the shower in the basement. By the time she was clean, she heard the front door shut. She quickly got out and put on her uniform, only barely finishing getting her hair back as she got to the top of the stairs.

Sojiro was looking a bit grumpier than usual. "There's a cat yowling outside. Know what that's about?"

Rei quirked her lips into a smirk. "Chief? If we keep going down that road you're going to be suspecting me of making it rain and scaring all your customers away." She opened up the fridge and pulled out a small salad and a slice of bread. "Doc said I've been putting on weight," she said by way of explanation.

"Well, nice to see you take care of yourself," Sojiro grumbled. "But I can't afford to pay for you to eat at a conbini every night. You want to eat healthier, you can buy vegetables and make the salad yourself and I'll pay for that."

Rei chuckled. "At some point we're going to have to hash out a budget. But you're right, that sounds fair." She ate quickly, then made as if to head off. "I'm gonna meet up with Makoto before school."

"For a girl, you sure are a ladies man," Sojiro said with a laugh. "Yeah, heard about your girlfriend."

Rei made a face. "Don't remind me about Ai, okay? It was a mistake." She opened the door, and nearly tripped when Morgana raced in, rubbing up against her legs so hard she thought he was trying to push her over. "Woah, there…"

Sojiro growled. "Go on, get out of here, cat!"

"Oh," Rei said. "I remember now. This guy followed me home past couple of nights. I guess he likes me."

Sojiro shook his head. "I see what you're thinking, but this is a restaurant. We can't have a cat in here. The smell would drive off my customers."

Morgana, thinking quickly, suddenly dashed in, past the counter, and around the corner to the toilet. Sojiro stared in shock when there was a pause, and then a flushing sound while Morgana strode out of the restroom.

Rei was almost as dumbfounded, but shrugged. "I've heard cats can be trained to do that, but I never thought I'd see it."

Morgana grinned at Rei. "Well, doesn't that prove I'm human?"

Sojiro shook his head. "Okay, okay. I guess maybe if you have a cat to take care of you won't be out causing trouble."

"Thanks, Chief," Rei said. "I'll get you the money to adjust my card for pet fares and pick up some other stuff for him."

Rei's early arrival at the school didn't go unnoticed. "Hey there, new 'kid'" Kamoshida was waiting for her as she walked through the front door. "How are things going so far?"

Rei bit her lip. The man's forward-leaning posture seemed to cut off any escape options. Her breath quickened, and definitely not in a good way. "Fine, Sensei."

He leaned in to whisper. "That bathroom working out for you? If you really need a lookout that badly, well, there's a shower in the teacher's locker room." Rei froze. "No one would think anything odd about a boy coming and going from my 'second office.'" With that, he separated from her. "Anyway, I'll see you around. Come by my office any time if you have any more trouble."

Several seconds after he was gone, Rei managed to get enough of her composure back to look around, and she met the eyes of Shiho Suzui again. Rei shivered, but turned away. So she was surprised when she realized that Shiho had followed her. "Uhm...yeah," She said. "Tha-that happened."

Shiho was obviously bewildered. "I...I honestly don't believe it. He's never done anything like that to the guys before. No one else is going to believe it either...or at least, they're not going to believe what he meant...I...what is going on?!"

Rei pulled herself together. "Suzui, please don't ask questions I shouldn't answer. Just...I've got it under control."

Shiho shook her head. "Amamiya, that wasn't a suggestion." Rei gasped. "He's going to be upset if you don't visit in the next couple of days." Rei suddenly found herself leaning against the wall. Shiho put a hand on her shoulder. "Woah, you all right?"

"No."

Shiho put a hand on her other shoulder. "Sorry. A girl wouldn't be all right, and a boy…well, I bet you never expected to have to deal with this."

"No one should 'expect' to deal with this," Rei said. "I've...I've got to get to class. Can't miss one. Not one."

A hand slammed down onto a desk. Makoto, Ryuji, and Morgana stared nervously at their fearless, possibly crazy, leader, who had dragged a broken desk out to the middle of the roof explicitly for that purpose. "Right. Any objections?"

Makoto nodded. There was an intensity in Rei's eyes that hadn't been there that morning, but her physical condition didn't seem to have improved much, and the dramatics weren't helping. "Rei, we're under pressure, I get that, but - "

"Yes, exactly," Rei interjected. "Whatever grace period Takamaki was going to give us is officially gone today. We're taking care of things now."

Ryuji nodded. "I'm with ya. This guy's been an asshole to the school for way too long."

Rei nodded. "So, it's unanimous that we have to take him down. I'm not going to be able to sleep knowing what's waiting for me some day soon. So…" She looked to Makoto, who finally, reluctantly, nodded.

"There's just one order of business first," Morgana said. "Code names?"

"Huh?" Makoto was just as surprised as Rei.

Morgana sat up to his full height. "Code names. One, what kind of lame Phantom Thief would use their real names on the job? More importantly, of course, it prevents the Palace from connecting us to our real-world identities."

"Awww yeah!" Ryuji shouted, loudly enough that Rei and Makoto winced. "That's, like, totally what Phantom Thieves would do!"

Morgana laughed. "Well, much as it pains me to agree with Ryuji…" He looked. "Anyway, Rei's 'Joker.'"

Rei raised an eyebrow. "Why 'Joker?'"

Morgana gave her a look. "You absorbed that one Shadow's power, right? And then you used its' lightning attack? So, if you can do more of that, all your abilities will definitely be our trump card."

Rei shrugged. "I guess. Better than 'Trickster' in a fight, anyway." She looked to the other two. "I think we can skip Morgana, actually. No real identity to connect to and it sounds enough like a code name that no one will question it." Morgana looked disappointed. "If it makes you feel better, 'Morgana' probably really was your code name before. It's your real name that's missing. Which just leaves you two…" She paused, regarding Makoto first. "Uhm...yeah...elegant, somewhat classical features…" She smiled. "Queen!"

"I'll accept that," Makoto said after a little thought. "If we're going to do this sort of thing. Which just leaves Ryuji."

"Hmm…" Rei looked him over. "Well, 'Morgana', 'Joker', 'Queen'. All English words, so we should probably keep that theme going…"

Morgana grinned. "'Yankee'."

"Oi!" Ryuji shouted at him.

Rei chuckled. "Nah. Not only is it insulting, but it's something people call him in the real world. Might link back to him." She thought some more, looking the boy up and down. "I think that's the right idea, but it's missing some class…"

Makoto said "Rei, how do you 'class up' a name like that?"

Rei smirked. "I think I've got it." She reached for the bandanna he had brought, and instead of tying it over his hair she put it over his nose, letting it drape down like a mask. 'Desperado.'"

Ryuji grinned. "Ya mean like the wrestler?"

Rei nodded. "I've also heard it in certain kinds of American movies. They're not popular anymore, but I sat through one a couple years ago with my American friends. Anyway, it'll do."

Shiho found herself standing outside the locker room. The reprieve of the rally wouldn't last, she knew. She could see it all in front of her. She would go in and get changed. Kamoshida would eventually lean his head in, not quite far enough to see in (although now she wasn't so sure), shouting for any stragglers to hurry up. She would run the laps ahead of him, trying to avoid being lapped - because the boys Kamoshida wanted to punish would run in front with carts to try to run any stragglers down. She would do the drills, being spiked in the face repeatedly. There would be a game, in which Kamoshida would watch and hit anyone who didn't live up to his standards.

And afterwards, she had gotten a message to come to his office. Ren wasn't giving up what he wanted. Kamoshida prefers girls...Kamoshida prefers girls….Kamoshida wants Amamiya…It's possible he's just branching out, Amamiya is pretty girly...Amamiya won't give Kamoshida what he wants...I have to be alone with him.

Shiho came to a realization. I can't do this anymore.

Her parents would be livid. They might throw her out of the apartment, make her live on her own and earn her own food money. They might not even pay for an apartment, she'd just be on the streets. I...I can't do this anymore. This is wrong.

She turned and walked away, half expecting to run into Kamoshida on the way. Instead, she saw Amamiya, along with the Student Council President and Ryuji Sakamoto, of all people. That's right, the rumors said he was friends with both of them. What a weird trio…

"Aw yeah, we've got this!" Sakamoto called out in response to something Amamiya said, only for the other two to shush him.

That's odd. Shiho decided to follow after, sneaking her shoes out of her locker without being seen before she followed behind them as they stepped into the alley leading to the station - a route that would never be taken by 'respectable' students just because it looked like you had something to hide, even if it was shorter. So what are they hiding? She walked down the alley behind them.

Niijima turned around, and they all stood aside to let her pass casually, but silently. Shiho nodded and turned the corner casually, then pressed herself against the wall.

Strangely enough, a feminine voice she thought sounded familiar, but didn't recognize, spoke. "Okay. Once we start up the app, there's no turning back. Everyone have their stuff?" Two voices responded. She recognized Sakamoto's and Niijima's from her speech at the start of the term. There was also, inexplicably, a meowing cat. "Okay then."

Shiho groaned as a sudden pain lanced through her head. Before she recovered, she was surrounded. It took her a second to recognize everyone, since they were all wearing masks, but even more distracting was Amamiya in the middle. Wearing her tight leather outfit. "Wha-wha-what?!"

Amamiya groaned. "Just what I needed."

"Wha...why do you wear a boy's uniform and talk like that?" Shiho asked, managing to find her voice.

Amamiya gave a theatrical sigh. "Why don't I just strip naked in the courtyard and get it over with?" She put a hand on Shiho's shoulder. "Please, Suzui, you've been nothing but kind to me, and I'm really sorry I had to lie to you. But the principal's doing this to me to make my life even more miserable. Please don't tell anyone. In fact, please just try to forget about this."

"You're a girl, and wearing tha-tha-that?!" Shiho shouted. "And you want me to forget this?"

Niijima put a hand on Amamiya's shoulder. "Rei…"

'Rei' smiled at Niijima, before turning to look back at Shiho with a strangely sad expression. "Suzui, please, I am absolutely begging here. I will do whatever you want but you need to trust me and not tell anyone."

"No!" Shiho shouted. "This is too crazy! I need to know what the hell is happening here!" She took a deep, shuddering breath. "Please...I'm quitting the volleyball team because you told Ann you would take care of Kamoshida before he beat me again. I'm going to lose my scholarship...maybe everything. I need to know I can trust you."

Rei nodded. "All...all right." She turned around and took a few steps back. "There exists a world that reflects the human mind. This world. Most people are powerless here, but if you look deep within your own soul, there may be something there. A part of you that can't stand letting anyone tell you what to do anymore." She tore off her mask, and suddenly there was a demon behind her. "This is Adler."

"Be ye not afraid."

Shiho swallowed. "So...instead of the real Kamoshida, you're going after...what, his heart?"

"Exactly," Rei said patiently. "And you can't help because you don't have a Persona. Neither does Desperado there, but I already made a deal that will let him help us if we can't bring it out...and two people without Personas is too many to keep safe. There are other factors, too, but you see why I can't - " She was cut off by the sound of Ann's screaming.

Shiho tried to take off, but Niijima caught her. "No! That's not the real Ann!"

"Let me go!" Shiho tried to struggle, but Niijima was as strong as a sumo wrestler, and about as easy to move. "I know Ann! That's her!"

Rei grabbed Shiho and spun her around. Niijima stared in shock, and Shiho in terror, when Rei raised her hand to smack the poor girl. Seeing the point was made, Rei instead just shouted. "Don't! I fell for the same damn trick. If you go, you'll just be chasing after a fake made from Kamoshida's cognition of her - a bimbo running around in her underwear." Shiho gasped in shock at the description of her best friend. "No, I don't mean I think Takamaki's a - It's Kamoshida's mind in that castle." Rei backed away. "I'm. . . I'm sorry, it's just. . ." She seemed to remember something. "Oh, and there's a good chance you might end up in the King's harem. I almost did before I awakened. If that happened I'd try to save you, but I can't make any promises. So please, just be a good girl and stay here."

Ann screamed again. Shiho closed her eyes...but she had apparently wandered into this other world by accident. Couldn't Ann have done the same? What if Amamiya was wrong? What if it really was Ann being tortured in there? Niijima relaxed her grip slightly, and Shiho stomped the foot of the Student Council President and made a run for the school. She wasn't even phased by the giant castle, she just went in through the front door.

"I can't believe she didn't even notice Morgana!" Joker shouted, following in Shiho's wake. "And how did she get so fast?!"

Desperado answered from his place in the rear. "I'm guessin' you don't put up with Kamoshida for a year if you're slow!" He tried to put on a burst of speed, but it was no good. Shiho was already through the front doors of the castle. "Argh, dammit!"

Queen looked to Joker expectantly. "All right, all right," the later said. "Morgana, change of plans. Let's get around and see if we can spy on what happens to her. Hopefully it's the dungeons, since we still don't have any way into the harem."

"Right. Follow me." Morgana said.

The guard patrols proved to be little trouble to sneak around this time. "The majority of the patrols must have been pulled to the upper floors," Morgana noted.

Joker motioned for quiet as one passed, then nodded. "There must be another way up there. We'll need to see about it once we rescue Suzui." There was another scream. Joker tilted her head to listen better, then shook it. "Morgana, don't you have any idea where she might've gone? They pulled her through the main hall so fast we didn't even see her."

Morgana nodded. "There's another wing of the dungeon from where me and Ryuji were. They probably took her down there, but it's not gonna be pleasant. It's where he trains the volleyball team."

Queen shuddered. "It's where those screams are coming from, isn't it?"

Everyone steeled themselves and snuck past each patrol in turn, before finally coming up on one that wasn't so easily dealt with. A tall guard in golden armor, sitting at a desk in a room. The desk was off to one side, so one would have to pass by it to get through to the only other exit beyond. The guard was shuffling through paperwork and grumbling. "Damn new boss, thinks he can just 'impose order'."

Joker smirked. "I'm almost flattered. It looks like after exchanging words with me for less than five minutes I've become the incarnation of all of Kamoshida's intelligence."

Morgana shook his head. "That doesn't seem right. But it does look like Kamoshida's put a lot more effort into defending this place than normal for a Palace."

Joker nodded. "Anyway, let's hit this guy hard." She counted down with one hand, and then shot off around the corner. The guard was so startled he barely had time to realize Desperado was firing off the machine gun wildly through the room, being careful to aim low to avoid hitting Joker with his barrage. Queen followed up as soon as he was empty, covering and slamming her fist into the head of the horse with ram's horns that appeared as soon as it regained its' senses from the assault. Joker pulled out her pistol, trying to further get the drop on it, but the Bicorn just bucked her into the wall. "All glory to Kamoshida!" it yelled.

"Zorro!" Morgana shouted, and suddenly the beast was thrown off its' feet by a powerful gust of wind.

Queen pulled out her revolver and put it up to the Bicorn's head while it was trying to recover. "Don't move, please. We're looking for the new girl who was brought in here."

The Bicorn's eye turned to look at Queen. "You don't wanna go in there. The King's newest toy is playing with her. That one's crazy."

Joker groaned and got to her feet. "Yeah, well, so am I. Oh, and I could use your power."

"Now wait just a second there," The Bicorn objected. "I don't wanna team up with no weak human."

Joker smiled. "What do you mean, weak? We beat you, right?"

The Shadow seemed to have no immediate comeback for that. "Fine. You want to team up? What's in it for - " Queen cocked the hammer on her revolver pointedly. "Okay, okay….I am Thou."

Joker's grin threatened to split her head open. "Thou art I." The Shadow vanished into her chest as a ball of light. "Okay, I know where she is."

Shiho found herself waking up in a cell. She couldn't remember much, just a powerful impact on the back of her head and then blackness just after she plowed through the front door. What she saw wasn't reassuring.

But then, almost anyone would scream on waking up if they saw the Rei cognition and King Kamoshida leering at them. "Hmm…" 'Rei' said. "Looks like she needs some taming. Allow me."

There was the sudden sound of a revolver's hammer being cocked, followed by the distinctive clack of a magazine being slid into place. "Better still…" Joker said, her weapon leveled at the back of Kamoshida's head, "...let's not. Back away from her. Slowly."

Kamoshida smiled. "Well now, my beauty, it seems you were right," He threw his cloak around the Rei cognition, who happily wrapped herself around him.

"You doubted, my lord?" the cognition giggled. "Sorry to scare you, Suzui. Don't worry, you'll be enjoying it soon enough."

Joker was about to reply when Kamoshida snapped his fingers and the hallway filled with Shadows. She spun around, leveling her weapon at one of the armored men. "ADLER!"

Queen echoed her cry with "JOHANA!" She glanced back over at Joker. "Everything?"

"We don't have much choice. Morgana, Desperado, cover us!" Joker made a sweeping gesture, blowing the soldiers on her side back. Queen melted several down with radiation, but almost as soon as the path was clear more began to manifest. "Dammit! If we don't knock off the masks it doesn't matter if they're easier to take down, they just come right back!"

Rei - the cognition - giggled. "That's ri-ight," she called out in a sing-song. "No one beats King Kamoshida."

Desperado snorted. "Yeah, right. Without you I bet he's not so tough. Why don't you come out here and fight me like a man?"

"Have you gone mental?! We're nowhere near ready to take on a Palace ruler!" Morgana shouted at him.

"Shut it, cat!" Desperado shot back.

Morgana looked like he had some choice words, but Joker caught his eye and gave a quick nod. "How about it, 'Your Highness?'" She said, spitting out the last word. "Would a 'real man' turn down a challenge like that?"

Kamoshida smirked. "All right, Sakamoto. Looks like your girlfriend wants to see you get pounded into the ground." The guards backed away, and Kamoshida opened the cell door. The Shadow of the gym teacher threw his cloak to his kunnoichi, causing the fake Rei to nearly swoon with apparent desire. Desperado, for his part, passed the machine gun to Joker and put up his fists. A cheer went through the crowds on either side of the hallway.

Kamoshida opened up with a hook, followed by a quick jab. The latter connected, and Ryuji's neck snapped around, but then he righted himself and pulled off the bandana. "Heh. Best part is no one's ever gonna know, so I don't gotta hold back." He kicked Kamoshida straight in the gut, so poorly that Joker and Queen actually winced at the lack of technique, but in the Metaverse strength of will was everything, and Ryuji had months of resentment to spare built up. Kamoshida staggered under the force of the kick, then the roundhouse punch to the face Ryuji followed it up with, which then fed into a full turn around into an uppercut that pushed Kamoshida several steps back.

Now that's more like it… a voice echoed in Ryuji's head, but he was too enraged to notice right away that it wasn't his. "How do ya like that?"

Morgana felt the difference almost immediately. How did Joker know? If this keeps up, he might just break through!

But Kamoshida wasn't actually hurt. Morgana's hope seemed to be dashed when the King put a hand on Ryuji's shoulder and put his fist through the boy's temple. Ryuji was sent sprawling to the ground, and Kamoshida laughed. "Do you see now? Trash is trash."

Ryuji struggled to his feet. "No way, Kamoshida. You're the trash."

"So you can still mouth off, and after I so graciously agreed to coach the track team on top of my regular job," Kamoshida said with a sadistic grin. "Such a shame about your regular coach, too, but he had the guts to try to oppose me with 'sensible arguments.' If he'd just left it with your leg, he might still have a career." He glanced over to where Joker had been standing. "Huh? Where's my adoring crowd?"

Dammit! Ryuji thought to himself. Shoulda known Rei had a plan. Guess I fucked her up.

Oh come on,the voice in his head came back. You're not gonna let him win now, are you?

Ryuji chuckled. Kept me waiting, didn't you, Persona?

That's my line, the voice said. There's something to be said for cowboys, but for us? I think not. You need power, and you desire mayhem. So let us form a pact. Ryuji didn't even scream, he just groaned in pain, knowing what to expect from having the descriptions of Rei's and Makoto's own awakenings, and not wanting to give Kamoshida the satisfaction of seeing him give in. Even so, he staggered, and his bad leg gave out at just the wrong time. The pain of falling to his knees wasn't even noticable over the agony emanating from his head. He forced himself to his feet, even as he convulsed. Then his eyes opened, the same glittering gold as a Shadow's. "I AM THOU! THOU ART I!"

"Again?!" Kamoshida gasped, turning back to Ryuji.

A skull's mask had formed over the former track star's face, made of pewter, his eyes a golden yellow beneath. "The skull of rebellion is my flag. Now, time to wreak havoc! PERSONA!"

Joker winced as the fight started, but she knew there wouldn't be much time. The Shadows weren't paying attention, instead cheering on their 'liege.' She looked around, and willed Adler to help her fade into the shadows. No one seemed to notice as she slipped into the cell and managed to creep up behind the dangerous cognition of herself.

To her surprise, the Cognition turned, looked straight at her, and winked before stepping to one side. Joker stared in amazement while the mirror of herself rolled her eyes. "She's got nothing to do with this, right? Get her out of here before she gets hurt."

"Why?" was all Joker could think of to ask in a whisper. The Cognition refused to answer, just gesturing towards Shiho to get on with it. Rei regarded her warped reflection with another moment's suspicion before slipping around and cutting Shiho down. "And this is why we told you to stay home," she said, keeping her voice soft. "You okay?"

Shiho nodded. "They...they said some stuff, but they didn't…"

"Good," Joker replied. She lifted one of Shiho's hands and put it around the handle of Shiho's gun. "Don't point that at anyone you don't want dead. It's as good as real, loaded, and safety off." Shiho nearly dropped the weapon in shock, but Joker's hand kept it held firm. "If I had something smaller to spare, I'd give it to you."

"What about Sakamoto?" Shiho asked, still sounding scared. "Doesn't he need it?"

"I AM THOU! THOU ART I!"

Joker smirked. "He just needed a bit of a push." Her smirk turned into a genuine smile. "Suzui, get a ride with Queen and get out of here. Please, listen to me this time."

Shiho nodded. "That's Niijima, right?"

"Yes, but code names. Saying our real names can have negative consequences." Joker explained. "Now go. Ask Queen where you can find me after if you want to talk."

Shiho stepped out into the hallway, Joker still covering the Kunoichi version of herself with the gun. Shiho nearly dropped the weapon on seeing Saka-no, neither that nor the 'Desperado' code name fit him now. The high collared black shirt under something that resembled a ballistic vest, the new, long pipe in one hand, the skull-shaped mask, and the yellow gloves. It was sort of a 'yankee' look, but a very serious one. Then she realized where she'd seen it before - it was sort of like the portrait of a modern pirate.

Rather fitting, given the skeleton wearing a mockery of a 19th century naval uniform riding on a boat floating behind him. The tricorn hat on its' head just added to the ridiculousness, but she had a feeling the whole was deadly serious. "Get'em, Skull!" She shouted.

The newly renamed Skull gave her a grin. "I'll be sure to get in one hit just for you, Suzui." He looked back to Kamoshida. "Now, where were we? Oh, yeah. Let's go, Captain Kidd!" He gestured at Kamoshida, who was forced back by several bolts of lightning.

The perverse King of the Palace snapped his fingers, and the guards started approaching from down the hallway again. Rei stepped out of the cell and put Kamoshida's cloak back on, before looking at Ryuji. "Feh, you're not worth taking out personally. Guards, deal with this."

By now, of course, Shiho had also seen the cat-monster with them, apparently named 'Morgana', but she could ask questions later. The guards were closing in. Shiho looked around and saw Queen was already waiting on that motorcycle named 'Johanna.' She hopped on without another word, and the tires squealed. Shiho gasped as she realized they were headed straight into the mob coming for the others, and did the only thing she could think of. Leaning around Queen, she held out the SMG and pulled down on the trigger. A spray of bullets emptied the hall temporarily, and they screamed past even as the knights pulled back together.

Joker moved back-to-back with Skull, Morgana at her side facing deeper into the Palace. "Okay, mission accomplished. Suzui's outta here safe. So, boys, any ideas on how we deal with an army of Shadows on each side with no way out?"

Morgana looked up at her with a smirk. "It just so happens I know about all kinds of infiltration tools. Leave it to me." At Joker's nod, he rummaged in his pack as the armored guards closed in, until he pulled out a small egg and threw it against the ground. The hallway filled with smoke, and the three leaped to the rafters along the low ceiling, high-tailing it to the hallway entrance before their enemies could recover.

Shiho gripped tightly to Queen's waist as they sped over the rough stones and even up a spiral staircase. She heard another scream. "Wait, stop the bike!"

Queen shook her head. "I can't do that, Suzui. We already told you, these people aren't real. I know you're concerned, but if you want to help focus on the real world." It was at that moment that she looked up and nearly slammed on the brakes.

The room was split by an underground river, the water flowing fast enough to have anyone falling into it swept out to sea before they could catch a breath. There were several dozen cages suspended over it, each one containing a member of the volleyball team. All around them were machines hurling smaller balls at the cages. But that wasn't what cause Makoto to stop. In the center, not being tortured, was Ann. And not the underwear-clad bimbo, at least by appearance. She had on the Shujin uniform. "Dammit...guess you were right after all."

Shiho looked at Queen confused. "Huh?"

"The fake Ann is one of Kamoshida's...I...don't want to say it out loud." She swallowed. "The kind of girl we definitely don't want at Shuujin."

Shiho swallowed. "But…" She looked behind them, towards the sound of the Shadows howling and approaching. "I don't…"

"Help me!" Ann shouted. "They're going to, like, do horrible things to me."

Queen nodded. "Keep the gun trained on the entrance. I'm going to have to jump."

Shiho felt far more skeptical. "Hold up, this doesn't feel right."

Ann's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?! I'm Ann! I'm really Ann!"

Shiho's eyes flicked between the approaching Shadows and her friend...or the thing that looked like her friend. "Wha...what was it you called me in middle school?"

"What...what are you talking about Suzui?" Ann asked.

Shiho thought for another moment longer. Ann would never use my last name...but if I'm wrong, I'm about to kill my best friend...my ex-girlfriend...I… There was another howl.

Such are the illusions of this world. The voice was soft, with just a slight undercurrent of anger. The waters are rising, my girl. Shiho felt a pang in her heart. If thou dost remain here, thou dost know what will happen. But thine allies have no way forward. Regard the ceiling. Shiho felt her eyes go involuntarily upward, noting that Queen was suddenly staring at her. She had no way to know it, but her eyes had started to glow faintly.

The cages weren't just hanging from the ceiling, but from a complicated clockwork. There were large weights hanging from the ceiling as well, and gears that were pulling chains leading further up into the castle proper. The handiwork of the Fallen One's herald, no doubt. But there is a method to her madness. She believes you have not the strength to see through deception.

Queen was in awe. "He's using them as a counterweight to keep the Palace doors sealed. As long as the chains are in place, we'd have to move all these cognitions around." Her eyes followed the chains. "...but if Ann wasn't there, I think the whole thing would come undone and all the doors would open. There's just one problem. If Ann tries to leave, the boys all plunge to their deaths."

Shiho nodded. "No problem, then. They're just fakes, right?"

Queen suddenly wasn't so sure. "I...it's probable, but if they are this trap isn't very effective. That damned Cognition tried this already."

"Of course I wouldn't repeat myself so soon, at least not without a twist." The Cognition Rei said, stepping along the cobblestone ledge on the opposite side of the river. "It's true that there's no way His Majesty could bring real people here on his own...but he's not the only Shadow. All who enter this place become his loyal subjects…."

Queen felt sick to her stomach. "What happens if we kill someone's Shadow."

'Rei' hmmd. "You know, I don't know but wasn't there something about a subway driver going crazy the other way on the news? I do know there's a boy in black from your world running around the Metaverse. I bet he'd be able to answer."

Someone besides Joker and her friends Shiho thought, before she focused again. Turning her attention to Ann, she tried again, eyes now shining gold. "If you're Ann's Shadow, what's my nickname? The one you called me in middle school."

"Wha? Like, how am I suppo-" 'Ann' said, before Shiho pulled the trigger. For good measure, she sprayed the whole room. Queen hit the deck, and the Cognition of Rei threw her own smoke bomb to vanish into while the boys in the cages all dissolved into oily black liquid, along with the fake Ann.

Even as Shiho felt a surge of pride, though, the Cognitions all re-formed into a Shadow standing in front of her, battering her to the ground with a single gesture. Her head ringing, Shiho tried to sit up, only to feel a pressure on her back. She groaned in agony, even as she heard Kamoshida's voice. "It's too bad you didn't leave well enough alone. My newest pet is quite the prize, but you would've been welcome too. Oh well."

No...not like this…

Thou hast shown the strength to see through the veil of deception over this world. Shiho felt the pain return to her heart, and this time it spread to her head as well. She screamed again, this time struggling with renewed strength. If thou dost wish, you may form a Contract with me.

Shiho flexed again, and the soldier was suddenly forced off of her. She stood up, swaying to and fro like she was drunk, feeling a weight on her forehead. Knowing what she'd find, nevertheless she reached up to feel the delicate porcelain of the mask covering the upper half of her face, like the statues on the few Catholic churches she had seen. However, this mask peeled slowly off, taking skin with it like some kind of demented . . . stigmata, that was what they called it. "I swear it. I walk in the darkness that would seek to destroy all in pursuit of the Light of Truth. Nothing that those who follow a false Order would keep hidden shall be safe from me." Her outfit dissolved, and in its' place was not the flowing white robes Queen had expected from that kind of a declaration. She instead wore black leather shorts, loose enough to not be nearly as revealing as what Queen and Joker had to put up with. Her top was also a dark leather, and similarly unadorned, which covered her entire torso but was sleeveless. She also had on simple sandals. The outfit didn't strike Queen as particularly stealthy, but since they seemed to magically fade into the environment where they wished it probably didn't matter so long as Shiho thought it was stealthy. "I AM THOU! THOU ART I! Come forth, NOREA!"

The Persona seemed to fit the image of a stereotypical angel a bit better. She had on a simple white dress, which came down to her knees for modesty but split halfway up her thigh to allow movement. The strangest thing about it, though, was the way it seemed to shift about, almost as if keeping one from looking directly at her. In her hands was a long spear that would preclude the use of a sidearm but gave her some range just the same. She also had a simple pair of wings, and a similarly long spear to the one that appeared in Shiho's hands.

Then Queen had to cover her eyes as the room filled with light. When it cleared, she looked around but the room was completely empty, save for herself and the unconscious Shiho. The false Rei's voice called out. "Dammit! Retreat to the upper levels. His Majesty must be protected."

"Ren?" As promised, Niijima had told her precisely where Amamiya could be found after the escape from that weird castle. Apparently 'the boys' had snuck out another way, and split up. But life would not wait, and apparently the odd transfer student had prior commitments. Therefore, Amamiya had taken a side trip on the way home to browse, of all things, some fresh fruit stalls in the Akihabara station. And he - or was it 'she' - was wearing a modest skirt and T-shirt and - Shiho shook her head. "Amamiya?" She hated using the person's family name after he'd just saved her life, but it was easier than trying to unpack the contradiction without help.

Amamiya looked up. "Shiho." The transfer student's expression was positively glowing. "I know Makoto said you'd made it out, but. . . anyway, I guess you have questions." She turned back to the strawberries in front of her. "Erm, no offense, but I've gotta pick up enough to make tarts for my guardian's customers, so I'll have to multitask."

Shiho nodded. "Uhm…" She didn't quite know where to start. "I'm so sorry, but what should I call you?"

Amamiya looked up, grinning and with a strange glint in her eye. "'Magnificent' would be a good start…" Seeing Shiho's nonplussed expression, Amamiya continued on from there with "...seriously, my name is Rei. Ren's just what the fat, disgusting, abusive, rapist-cover-upping excuse of a human being we laughingly dignify with the title of 'Principal' insists everyone calls me at school." She paused. "By the way, at school please go along with it or he'll kick me out."

Shiho felt her brain start to melt out her ears. "...tell me how you really feel, why don't you?"

Rei shook her head. "No thanks, I don't want to be arrested for corrupting youth or something." She held up a bunch of strawberries, then put them in a basket already loaded down with them. "So. Did Mako-chan fill you in on the basics?"

Shiho nodded. "Basically, at least about the Palace. But she said a lot of the questions about you weren't her place."

"Not a whole lot to tell." Rei said. "I'm a girl who was born with the wrong body parts. A lot of people, including the honored asshole in charge of the school, don't see it that way. He actually tried to kill me the day before school started." Shiho gasped. "Not so directly, but...well, it's complicated. But I've got a published child psychologist willing to sign that I'm as sane as you are, just with some weird hormonal conditions."

"I...see." Although Shiho didn't feel like she did. "Anyway...I want in. I need to protect Ann."

Rei grinned weakly. "I don't suppose I can talk you out of it? At the rate things are going we won't need the Metaverse - half the school will know by the end of the month."

Shiho grinned. "We've been living a lie at Shujin for far too long. Besides, my parents will be furious, so if we don't get Kamoshida to confess now I'm in a lot of trouble."