Yu was looking increasingly frustrated. "How the heck did you manage to get Labrys to go along with this insane idea? I know she didn't exactly have a chance to grow up like a normal girl...or at all, come to think of it. But she was our friend, not just. . . "

Rei shrugged. "It's hard to say how well we know anyone until it's time to actually make a choice. That said, I'm pretty sure, at this point in our sorry tale, Labrys wasn't actually on our side. In a way, I don't know if she ever was."

A few minutes later, and Labrys was dressed in one of Ann's baggier sweaters and a pair of knee-length jeans that would probably have been almost indecent if the sweater didn't extend down past the girl's hips. "Sorry," Ann said as soon as the ensemble was complete. "I didn't really have your measurements, and your hips aren't quite right. It's like you don't even have bones."

"We'll figure it out," Labrys decided. "We didn't figure I'd need a body when they sent me out here."

Makoto nodded. "Okay...and that brings us to what the Hell is going on?"

Rei winced. "Well, yes, it's a good question. Don't get me wrong, I owed you this much for having to leave the battle robot behind, but…"

"Okay…" Labrys sighed. "I know ya know who the Kirijo Group are. I'm...kinda a part timer these days. They got an interest in Persona stuff."

Makoto frowned. "Why not just let the government handle it?"

Labrys laughed. "Most people don't know about us. The rest...well, there was an agreement for awhile, but about five years ago everything broke down. I don't wanna get into too many details, but Kirijo-san had a team of Persona users ready to jump in if things went south...and someone high up in the government pulled their funding. Technically, I'm off the books."

Rei raised an eyebrow. "They had an off-the-record combat robot?"

"Mitsuru-san recruited me," Labrys said. "Made records for an actual person, all that stuff. But...well, turns out 'secret corporate mercenary' pays really good. And...I had some personal stuff ta do, that took a few years, so I officially quit. Unofficially...well, you kids ain't seen nothing yet. When it's all-hands time, it's really all-hands time. Aigis is still on Kirijo's payroll, but we don't think whoever got to us knows about me, so. . . "

Ryuji groaned and rubbed his head. "I don't get this at all…"

Morgana looked up. "I actually don't either."

Labrys shrugged. "Well, you guys are my best shot at finding out what happened. If they don't want Persona users pokin' around Tokyo, you'll run into'em sooner or later."

Shiho gulped. "...government conspiracies aren't really what we do."

Rei shrugged. "She's going to find it out eventually. We're Phantom Thieves." Labrys stared at her in confusion. "Well, just starting out. Short version, we take out a Shadow's distorted desires, which form a Treasure. That returns a person whose evil is out of control to a relatively stable state."

Labrys narrowed her eyes. "That don't sound too good,"

Rei's own eyes narrowed in reply. "Our first real target tried to rape half the people in this room, shattered Ryuji's leg, and his Shadow nearly killed Morgana. I'd like to think we have some sense of proportion for not just killing Kamoshida."

Labrys didn't have a reply to that right away. Satisfied she would be listened to, Rei continued with "Besides that, we're still working out the details about acceptable targets. Even Keino's waiting on a final vote, but we just don't have enough information."

Labrys frowned. "I dunno. I wanna give him a black eye for tearing me apart, but it ain't like he knew what he was doin. That Palace was pretty weird…"

Shiho huffed at Rei's next words. "Well, it has to be unanimous. If you want to come along, you can say 'no' to sending the card."

That baffled Labrys for a second, then she grinned. "Oh, ta change his mind around and make the Treasure appear. That's why no one ever found one in Inaba." She looked down for a few moments, considering. "All right. I'll follow you guys for now. Gimmie a day or two to get a cover set up. What school y'all go to again?"

Makoto smiled. "Shujin Academy."

After Labrys had left with Ann and Shiho, Ryuji had drifted off shortly after. Only Makoto remained, sitting at the coffee bar in the cafe next to Morgana while Rei folded some batter together. "Can we talk?"

Morgana nodded. "Rei, this is pretty reckless, even for you."

"How so?" Rei said. "No offense, but exactly how many lies do you think I told back there?" Neither of the others had expected that answer. "Honestly, yes, I like Labrys. I gotta figure she's had a hard life too, being what she is." She held up a hand. "But just because I think she's good friend material doesn't mean I think we can blindly trust her. Right now, we've got some of the same goals, and to be honest if we don't let her tag along she can get to the Metaverse. So either we trip over each other, or we help each other. Do we really want another Black Mask?"

Morgana shook his head as Rei turned to provide him a saucer with some fresh tuna on it. "I guess not. Do we have any idea who he is?"

"Not a clue. I mean, he's obviously behind the mental shutdowns and psychotic episodes…" Makoto said. "But why?"

Rei shrugged. "Well, from what he said we know he's got something in mind. Maybe he was a good person like us, once…" She poured Makoto an iced coffee left over from the day's work. "Don't think I'm thinking of inviting him along too. He's hurt too many people for me to be comfortable. Maybe we can get him to stop...but I guess we'll see."

"Too many unknowns," Makoto murmured, sipping her coffee. "I'd better go too."

Rei was surprised when Igor didn't summon her that evening. Instead she woke up bright, early, and with more than enough time to put the previous evening's work into the oven. By the time Soujiro came in, she had even managed to arrange the treats on their tray for display. "Hey Boss," she said cheerfully, popping back her morning medication.

Soujiro's jaw dropped before he seemed to remember why Rei would be so happy to have her medication. "Jeez, you'd think there's something illegal in there."

"Nah. I don't need to be addicted to be ready to kill anyone who gets between me and this bottle," Rei replied, with a manic grin. "Got the other one? I should really finish out the prescription. No sense making my parole officer wonder why I've got extra pills."

Soujiro put it on the counter. "Just one. These are really strong stuff. You sure you need them? You seem to be doing better."

"Bad idea, Boss," Rei countered. "I could crash out any day. Sensei says you don't 'cure' depression or dysphoria, you manage it and treat it. But...well, my problem, right?"

"I guess." Sojiro frowned. "Just don't forget I'm responsible for you if something happens."

Ushimaru-sensei's class had been every bit the Hell he'd promised for Rei. He called on her constantly, throwing various bits of philosophy at her that weren't even on the homework. They were supposed to be on the Greeks, branching out into Western philosophers for the first time.

Instead he was stuck on the first years' program. Rei would have questioned why he would do this, except it allowed him to expound on Confucious.

A lot.

And today he was especially caught up in the way the man set down the shape of a proper society, with everyone having their roles to play based upon station, education, and of course, gender.

"So, we see that in Ancient China, strict adherence to these rules allowed them to avoid societal collapse," he said. In Rei's estimation, while there was a grain of truth to that statement it was severely overstated. "Everyone had their role to play, and as long as everyone did so it contributed to a harmonious whole. Wouldn't you agree, Amamiya?"

Rei stood up. "I do not agree, in the most strenuous terms."

Ushimaru-sensei looked furious. "Explain."

"The greatest flaw in Confucian argument that I can see is that he assumed the universe is harmonious, that everything operates according to a design." She needed to take a breath, which gave the teacher a chance to interrupt, but he chose not to. "A good example is that he asserted that a child dying of disease before their parents reflected some misdeed on the child's part, even if death took place in childbirth. We know now that this is an utterly ridiculous claim - disease has a variety of external and essentially random causes which are beyond man's control, but can be explained without resort to moral failure."

"Well, yes, I suppose, but you cannot possibly claim that one specific failure can be expanded to - " the teacher began.

Rei cut him off. "I can, and I do. The fact is, if Heaven truly created order for humanity, there would be no need to justify such a mechanism. There are some valid points made, but these are shared with nearly every religion and philosophy conceived by man. Confucious should very clearly not be treated with absolute veneration and compliance, and his principles are open to debate, refinement, and ultimately being discarded if they prove unable to cope."

She glanced around, hearing the class whispering. 'Holy shit, what's he doing?" 'Arguing with a teacher?' 'I don't know, he doesn't sound wrong…'

Rei decided to cap it off. "This may be getting ahead of the subject, but I believe the old koan is apt. If you meet the Buddha on the road…"

"...Kill him," Ushimaru finished. "Do you claim to be a master?"

Rei frowned. "I don't find Confucious' teachings to be a match for my path. But thank you for reminding me. I do need to find an instructor in the city. That should not be difficult, but I haven't had time." She sat down, convinced that, if she hadn't won this round, she hadn't lost. He wouldn't call her out like this again until he'd managed to construct an argument rather than just quoting the textbook at her.

Rei looked down at her phone. With the new function added to the Navi, it was significantly easier to coordinate. She needed to talk with Makoto before they got back to the investigation, hopefully that night, so she headed towards the Student Council's offices.

Which was right next to the teacher's offices. Where Kawakami and Chouno were having a confrontation that had caused the rest of the school to quietly find business elsewhere. Rei frowned, then leaned against the walls and opened her enhanced perceptions. "...onto you!" Chouno-sensei was hissing.

Kawakami's foot shuffled backwards and some paper shifted, like she was clutching her books to her chest. "For the last time I do not know what you are talking about."

Rei frowned, then looked in her case. There, some of the extra homework Makoto had been insisting on giving her. Kanji sheet - Perfect. She scrawled out a quick note on the top, then stepped out, acting for all the world completely oblivious to the fact that two teachers were about to come to blows. Chouno's voice was rising to the point where Rei no longer needed supernatural abilities to hear. "I swear, I will find proof of what you're doing, and when I - Yes, Amamiya?"

Rei feigned surprise. "Ah...sensei, I completed the extra assignments you recommended. Do you have some time tonight to help me look over them?" That hadn't been all she'd been planning on saying, but it seemed to match the narrative.

Kawakami barely hid her surprise, taking the sheet. "Oh...oh, no tonight's not good, but. . . "

Rei bowed in appreciation. "At your convenience, of course. I thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule." She turned to Chouno next, and also bowed. "I apologize for disturbing your discussion."

Rei didn't hang around to hear too much of what was said, but it sounded like Kawakami was getting another apology, this one much more heartfelt. And maybe I can get a tutor out of this. I need one, with no cram schools willing to take me.

She put that out of her mind and walked into the Student Council room, only to see Makoto sitting with another student. "Ah, sorry, Ren-kun, it seems something's come up today and I have to deal with it."

Rei suppressed a flash of anger. She's got an actual job around here, you're being childish she thought to herself. Apparently, not swiftly enough, because the older boy looked nervous for a second. "Of course, Niijima-san," she said. "Tomorrow, then?"

Makoto thought about it. "That should work. Besides, there's a new student scheduled to join your class. I needed to know which clubs would have room for her."

That was fast, Rei thought. "I see. That other matter can wait." She stepped out of the office and took a deep breath. The other instructors had left, so Rei turned and headed for the lockers.

Where, of all people, Shiho was waiting, looking irritated. "Makoto-san blew you off?

"Yes," Rei said. "Apparently there was some paperwork regarding our mutual new friend." Shiho's eyes widened. "In good conscience, I couldn't hurry that along. We need to do the best thing for her."

Shiho lowered her voice and whispered "Okay, that's more than fair. Still, I want you to see something." Rei thought about it, but with all her plans blown up she was just going to either head to the gym or track down Akechi. She nodded and followed.

The train Shiho took her on was starting to get uncomfortably warm and oppressive. For one thing, Shiho hadn't allowed her to get off at Shibuya, and the non-gendered restrooms she needed to use were rare. There wasn't one that she spotted at the distant station they did finally get off at, nor did they stop at any of the restaurants in the area. Instead they went on through the streets.

It took Rei a few blocks to spot the signs. In other parts of Japan, buildings might be allowed to get run down, but not in much of Tokyo. They might not be cleaned, but they were maintained very well as a matter of course - a single fire could kill hundreds of thousands, so safety codes were strictly enforced. It was part of why the rents were so high.

Eventually, they stopped at a building that was skimping about as much as they could get away with, with grates over all the store fronts that were on the edge of being rusted through. There was even some grafitti. "Shiho-cha - "

"No." Shiho said. "Come on."

Rei swallowed, but did. Shiho went up the stairs, pointedly skipping the elevator, for ten floors. When they got to the top, the apartments were off the balcony. Rei realized, with a start, it was some of the worst housing she'd seen. It would be suitable for college students looking to save money, but not much more. Shiho pulled out a key, and opened one of the doors.

It was worse than Rei had feared from the outside. The floor was bare wood, the walls stained with something unidentifiable. There was a toilet, but no bath at all, nor was there much more than a kitchen sink. Obviously, the inhabitant was meant to either use their own small appliances or eat out. The only place to sit was a low tea table, scuffed and stained, with no chairs. Clothes were neatly folded in two piles, clean and dirty. "Shiho...I…"

"...this is my apartment." Shiho explained. "At least for the past week, and for the foreseeable future. My parents signed the lease, at least."

Rei understood instantly. Shiho's volleyball scholarship would have been twice as hard to earn with her on the Buraku lists, and she'd thrown it all away before Kamoshida had been outed. Sure, she'd lucked out due to the scandal, but. . . "Is this your way of asking for an advance? Because you didn't need to go to that much trouble. Yeesh, Shiho-chan, Boss doesn't need all that space in his house, I'm sure he'd put you up separate fro - "

Shiho grinned. "Thank you...and I may take you up on that." She blushed. "I don't know...I really wanted to show you and Makoto-san what it's like for. . . people like me."

Rei frowned. "But...now that I've seen this...you don't even have a rice maker."

"Can't afford it. There's a hot plate under the sink," Shiho explained.

Rei's frown deepened. "Can't you stay with Ann-chan?"

Shiho blushed. "Erm...that's...probably not appropriate. Back in middle school, we were...erm…"

"Oh...Oh!" Rei blushed herself. "Sorry, I guess I shouldn't have brought it up." She sighed, tugging at her uniform self-consciously. "Shiho-chan...I'm sorry, but can I - "

Shiho's eyes widened. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" Her blush changed in tone, going from slight to beet red. "Uhm...the toilet door doesn't shut right. I'll close my eyes."

Rei swallowed, but nodded. "It'll have to do. I hate this."

Rei quickly elected not to impose further - it was perfectly clear that Shiho had nothing to offer but water and depressing conversation at home. Instead, she quickly looked up something and started leading Shiho to a nearby sports complex. The place had everything needed for track-and-field training, including high jump and pole vault equipment. "I'll need two monthly passes," she explained to the front desk.

Shiho gave her an angry look. "I don't need charity, Rei."

"This isn't charity, it's work," Rei countered. She glanced at the front desk clerk. "Give us a minute?" Without waiting for an answer, she pulled Shiho back. "Kamoshida may have been a piece of shit, but he was an Olympian, once upon a time. He called you out specifically for having that potential, but if you sit in that apartment after school you're going to lose it."

Shiho sniffed. "I really don't want to try to go back to playing."

"I know," Rei said. "But you need some place to keep working out. Also, you are getting that advance on this Pal - this job, and you are going to use it to buy a mini fridge and stock up on good food. You know the value of that. We can have sweets now and again, but I want you training too."

Shiho nodded. "So what's this place?"

"I'll get Ryuji a membership too. I know he likes Protein Lovers, but I'll bet he can show you around and this is better equipped. Specifically…" she gestured to the pole vault pit. "It's not a spear, exactly, but that'll get you used to thrusting a point into a hard stop. There's also some martial arts studios on the upper floors, I think. Even better, this is way closer to your apartment, so you don't have to head into Shibuya just to work out after school or on the weekends."

"...so this is my life?" Shiho asked. "Just train, train, train?"

Rei shrugged. "I'm not going to check up on you, if that's what you're asking. Consider this a perk of the job. Use it, or don't, but as long as you're carrying around those big two-handed weapons you're going to find it hard to also switch to a firearm without practice."

Shiho finally sighed. "I get it, I think. And...it is better than just sitting around my apartment with nothing to do but homework."

Rei smiled. "That's the spirit. And don't worry. I've noticed some deficiencies with Ann-chan too. On the other hand...she seems less in tune with her real body, compared to us."

"What does that have to do with it?" Shiho asked, obviously baffled.

Rei's expression became more thoughtful. "In Mementos the other day, I was able to momentarily get faster than my body should allow because I thought I should be faster. I think that's important too, but we have such a conception of what our bodies are capable of, working out in the real world will improve our Phantom Thievery. But I think Ann-chan's running off of imagination."

Shiho snorted out a laugh. "Ann lucks out again. Have you seen how many calories she can inhale?"

Rei pouted. "Don't I know it. I actually need to keep on some fat but even so I can't manage half what she can." Rei held up a hand. "Hormones, trying to get the balance right because I got to pick when I started on the last bits of growing up."

"Oh, right." Shiho blushed. "Yeesh, I'm just being all kinds of sensitive today."

Rei smiled and gave her a quick hug, much to Shiho's brief mortification. "It's nice having people who will put up with me talking about it at all, so we're even."

It was a bit later than she'd like when Rei managed to make it back to Shibuya station. Grumbling, she grabbed a quick juice at the stand to tide her over until she could get her free curry. Not wanting to hang around the station, she took it up to the balcony to sip on.

It wasn't terribly isolated, but even during rush hour it wasn't crowded, and gave a good overlook of the Scramble - the massive crosswalk in front of the station - as people gathered for the mad dash to the main street and back. Snarling up the traffic was the remains of some kind of demonstration. People were still hanging around talking even as some politician stood down from his literal soapbox and shouldered his sign. Huh, little early to be campaigning, she thought to herself, although she supposed that if he didn't suggest he was running for office directly he was free to say what he liked.

She was so caught up in her people watching she was startled when a hand landed on her shoulder. She very nearly grabbed it and threw the person attached when she remembered that that came with a death sentence. She calmed herself, and turned her head very carefully to look.

"...Akechi-kun?!" she said, startled. "What are you - "

Akechi grinned. "I was waiting for you at LeBlanc all afternoon. I figured you'd show up there."

"I do have a life, of sorts," Rei said. "...but you wanted to talk to me. What about?"

Akechi shrugged. "Do I need a reason?"

"You spent an entire afternoon sipping coffee and annoying my guardian," Rei said. "That's not something sane people do for no reason." She grinned. "'Because I wanted to hang out' would work."

"Well…" Akechi said, "I've found a place where we might not be disturbed the way we were at the cafe. I thought LeBlanc would at least be safer for coffee dates in the future, but this is something else."

"Sure!" Rei said with a grin. "What's wrong with the other cafe, though."

Akechi sighed. "A few of my fans decided to try to trash you on social media. Of course, since all of your official paperwork still lists you as male their attempts to dox you fell flat, this time. But you will need to be more careful to ensure you aren't linked to your 'cousin'."

Rei sighed. She glanced at the glass and opened herself to the Sight. "Fuck." Akechi jumped at the sudden profanity. "One of the girls from the cafe, around the corner there. She's using the selfie cam to watch us on her phone's screen."

Akechi gave Rei a look. "You can tell from her reflection?" Rei nodded. "This could be trouble. How would you like to handle it?"

Rei shook her head. "Well, I can't go home while she's following me, and Boss would kill me if I stayed out late enough to force her to go home first."

Akechi nodded. "I can handle it, but it will cost me a favor owed. I can take you to that place as well. Come on."

Rei felt her tension growing while the oblivious fangirl followed them onto the post-rush train to Kichikoji. She stood close to Akechi the whole way, keeping her face covered while she used the Sight to keep the girl marked the whole way. It was utterly maddening, every single detail of the whole route trying to get her attention, but she focused all the way through.

She only lost her concentration when Akechi grabbed her by the wrist to drag her off the train when, in her efforts to not lose track of the idiot, she missed that the train had arrived at their destination. Rei took the lead on the stairway, suddenly taking the stairs three at a time and briefly leaving Akechi in the dust in her haste, only stopping when she realized she had no idea where to go.

The covered shopping arcade was packed, of course, so Akechi had to take Rei by the wrist and lead her, swiftly, down the straight roads and alleyways until they reached an innocuous-seeming door. Rei glanced at it dubiously. "A bar? Not sure I can go in…"

"It's not against the law, as long as you don't order alcohol." Akechi said. "It's technically a jazz club, age limits are up to the owner and this place has quite a good mocktail bar."

Rei hesitated for another moment, but a quick glance showed the girl was still behind them. She nodded. "Lead the way, if you think this will help."

Akechi opened the door, giving the proprietor a smile. He was a young man, smartly dressed in the fashions of the roaring twenties of America, like many such places. His expression was bland, but gave Akechi a nod of recognition. "Hello. I'm sorry to bother you, but one of my fangirls seems to have the wrong idea about the young lady. It's late, so if you see a girl in a school uniform with her smartphone out, could you see your way to denying her entry?"

"Of course, Goro," he said, polishing a glass. "Seating fee for you and the young lady is three thousand yen, as always."

Rei smiled, and laid down six thousand. "To cover for the hanger-on," she explained.

"Rei-chan, I couldn't possibly - " Akechi started to protest.

Rei grinned. "No time, c'mon." She pushed open the inner door and passed into the club itself. The room was furnished all in old woods. Everything was clean, polished to a mirror shine, but it wasn't of the highest quality. With a start, she realized she had seen it before, or at least something like it. "This is. . . American?"

"You have quite an eye for detail," Akechi said with a grin. "I'm told it's all vintage. A recreation of an early club in America, back when they tried outlawing alcohol entirely and such places were forced to hide behind more respectable businesses." His grin didn't waver. "If you disagree, don't tell me."

"I won't," Rei said, but she honestly wasn't sure. The layout was the same as an old photograph one of her chat room friends had shown her, but she couldn't place how the details were off. There was a bookshelf, but the titles were all in Japanese. The piano and other instruments also seemed too new, and there was something off about the tables but without the photograph in front of her she couldn't be sure.

After another moment, Rei decided that she was being entirely too nitpicky and that she'd been using her supernatural ability for too long. She resolved to enjoy herself while they were stuck in here, going to a back table where she could see the entrance. Akechi went to the bar to order drinks.

By the time Akechi had arrived, the door hadn't opened. Apparently the bribe had worked, and Rei relaxed. "Hey, what's this?"

"The special. It's called a Soul Fizz." Akechi explained. "Normally I make it a point to only come here when there's a live performer, but it was an emergency. Still, I'm sure you'll agree the drinks are nice too."

Rei smiled, feeling the smooth, easy tones of the pre-recorded music wash over her as her guard relaxed. She lifted the glass up to her lips and sipped at the straw delicately, consciously trying to emulate the few old movies she'd seen in a sudden fit of playfulness. That almost ended the second the mixed liquid touched her lips. "Wow...normally I'm not one for fizzy drinks but this is incredible!"

"My treat." Rei felt an objection die on her lips. "You covered the seating fee, at least let me get this. A gentleman should always pay for the date, right?"

Rei giggled. "...you know what? Let's just stay here tonight. Not that I don't want to see what you originally had in mind, but this is. . . nice."

Akechi chuckled. "It is, isn't it? My work takes me to quite a few cafes and restaurants all over Tokyo, and even beyond sometimes. But….I must admit, this place is rather special to me. I come here when I need some time to myself to think. Sometimes, I even used to imagine bringing my first date here. Something special to share."

Rei blushed, and quickly took a sip of Soul Fizz to calm down. "I see. Sorry for ruining that for you."

"Not at all, Rei-chan," Akechi said seriously, letting the implication hang in the air for a moment before continuing with "After all, it was needed, and I am the one who opened us up to the inconvenience by not considering what might happen if I took you somewhere public." Rei felt herself go even redder. Seeming to sense the uncomfortable atmosphere, Akechi pulled up his briefcase. "Well, as long as we're listening to recordings instead of a live person, why don't I give you one of those lessons I promised? I have some photographs of a crime scene here. Nothing too gory, but why don't I show you how to piece together the clues to form a complete picture?"

Rei gulped. "Should you be - "

"Oh, do relax, Amamiya-chan," Akechi said. "It's a solved case. I pulled it from the police archives with permission, but it's all public record. Anyone could get these. The more important point is that this was one of the rare crimes that was originally solved solely through knowledge of the state of the crime scene and those who had access. I've taken the liberty of changing the names, but the circumstances are the same. So, care to give it a go?"

On reflection, Rei thought, it was a lot like those silly little logic games played by young kids. Just, normally, played for considerably higher stakes like 'justice', or at least what society liked to think of it. At least in this case, she decided, the court had probably gotten it right assuming the file Akechi had shown her was correct. But as she didn't have access to the original, undoctored file she'd probably never know.

She was musing on these thoughts as Akechi settled the bill for several more drinks and walking out to get some fresh air, which was why she managed to miss the approach of the girl following them earlier. "I've got you now!" she shouted, shoving Rei back almost violently. Rei skipped back a few steps, her legs sliding into a ready position but not putting up her hands. "You little tramp! You stay away from Akechi-kun!"

Rei sighed. "Why the heck should I? I'd like to point out that - "

"She is my apprentice," Akechi interjected, suddenly appearing and interposing himself between them, looking at the girl with his brownish-red eyes flashing in anger, and a little bit of a snarl creeping into his voice. "Normally I would be more polite with one of my fans, but you are seriously out of line."

"But...but…" The girl whined. "Akechi-kun, just...just look at her! Her hands are all dirty and she's just…"

"Perhaps you didn't hear me." Akechi said coldly. "My relationship with Amamiya-san is based on far more than physical looks. Although if you must know, I find her appearance quite pleasing in addition to a mind sharp enough to one day keep up with me." Then he calmed down, seeming to remember himself. "However, I have it on quite good authority that I am not Amamiya-san's 'type', as I believe it's said."

The girl blinked, stammered, and ran off. Rei was left with reddened cheeks. "Uhm...thanks. I was afraid I'd have to do something violent. But, where did you hear abou - "

Akechi lifted a finger to his lips. "I didn't, but it seemed prudent to say and I didn't believe you'd actually mind."

Rei shook her head. "I am bi, but...thanks, Goro-kun."

Akechi smiled. "You know, I don't believe anyone has called me that in years who wasn't being a condescending ass."

That night, Rei stretched out on her bed. Morgana curled up at the end, eschewing his usual, more private, area once Rei had changed. "Ugh, forgot to study...oh well, let's get to it," she mumbled as she opened her textbook. "Well, this is a problem I never anticipated having this year. It's...nice."

"What problem?" Morgana asked.

Rei found her spot in the ethics textbook. "Being popular. Not with the whole school, but there's people with actual claims on my time and in general things are. . . almost normal, outside the unexpected part-time job."

Morgana snorted. "Don't tell me the beauteous Phantom Thief wants a normal life?"

"..." Rei frowned, giving it some thought. "...there's...something to that." She sighed. "But no. 'Normal' implies that I don't have all the problems with. . . being me, and those aren't going away."

They lay there a little while, thinking, before a thought came to Morgana. "Shouldn't we check on Labrys-chan?"

Rei nodded. "Good point. Not like she sleeps, as far as I know." She reached for her phone.

Joker: Hey, Labrys, how's it going?
Labrys: Not bad, actually. Got an apartment. Ain't much to look at, but I don't need much more than a work table and a place to lie down to start.
Joker: Damn, so many of us needing to get set up.
Joker: What's the work table for?
Labrys: Well, we're just gettin' started on this new body, right? If ya want me to do more than navigator stuff, you're gonna need ta install some upgrades.

Rei groaned. Morgana walked around and peered at the screen. "Yeesh, we didn't even put her together."

Joker: Morgana just made a good point. I don't have the skills for that.
Labrys: Does anyone on this team? Ya did a good enough job ta start. Woulda taken us a few weeks at the rate you were going, but you could get there. Now that I'm up and around, we can take that kind of time to do it right.
Joker: If you insist. I guess we can't outsource this anyway. *Yawn* As long as you're doing OK, I think we'll let you go and get some sleep.
Labrys: I should do the same.
Joker: ...I'll get the details tomorrow.

Rei put her phone down and turned back to her book, intending to fall asleep studying. A few minutes later, she did just that.

Once Labrys had closed the chat with Joker, she sighed. It was time to check in - past time, really. She dialed the unlisted number into the burner phone she had picked up using an ID provided by the Kirijo Group's Shadow Operative division. "Put me through to the boss," she said, being sure to keep her dialect strictly Tokyo standard for this part. There was a long pause, then another buzz, then a click. "Labrys. We got your request for a student identity. How did you narrow it down so quickly?"

"Ah didn't, actually," Labrys said. "Well, I found some Persona users, but I don't think they're who we're looking for. Haven't been active long enough. But...well, there's a problem. I don't think they're the bad guys, but they ain't exactly the good guys."

Yu raised an eyebrow. "Speculation again?"

"Forty percent." Rei replied with a smirk. "Labrys eventually broke and told me enough to put it together."

Yu shook his head. "What got into Mitsuru-san?"

"Lesser of two evils at the time? At this point, remember you conceded that we haven't hit the heavy stuff." Rei said, smirking slightly. "We've done one scum pedophile gym teacher and two school bullies. Compared to that, Black Mask's work in the subway alone was more injuries by orders of magnitude."

Yu nodded. "Okay, I guess that makes sense. Doesn't explain why she didn't order Labrys to shut you down when you did get to 'the heavy stuff' as you put it."

"Regardless, we can't tolerate reckless use of Personas in Tokyo," Mitsuru answered. "There's too much of a risk of disaster."

Labrys glanced down at her phone, noting the new, glowing navigator app. She could feel a potential between Ariadne, her Persona, and the device. "Mitsuru-san, don't get me wrong, but I think my best chance of finding who's actually doing it is to follow them. At least for a bit."

"Send me the details." Mitsuru said coldly. "We can play it your way for now, Labrys, but - "

Labrys bit her lip, a very human gesture despite not having proper sensory organs for it. "Boss, ah can't. Problem is, I already looked into it and the leader...she's got a record, but there's no victim."

There was a very long silence. "You won't tell me, because if you do, as a law enforcement liaison I'm required to report any misbehavior on the part of someone who is presumably on probation, which would ruin your investigation."

"...and get me killed." Labrys admitted. "The leader's real sweet, but with what happened to my body while I was out, I don't think I could stop her if she decided to take me out. And I lived with her for a few days. She's kinda on edge. If she thinks I betrayed her, she just might."

"Can I persuade you to abort?" Mitsuru asked, concerned.

Labrys thought about it. Sanity rather dictated that she should, actually. Rei didn't strike her as wholly balanced, and with the Phantom Thieves on the knife's edge of an internal breakdown this wasn't the place to be off her game. "No, Mitsuru-san. I think if I'm on the ground...I probably can't control these kids, but I can help keep them aimed away from actual innocent people." What she didn't say out loud was And I kind of understand why they're doing this.

There was another long pause. "I don't want you to get so attached that you hesitate if they fail to be 'aimed', as you put it. Am I clear? If they step on the wrong side, take them down and work the rest on your own."

Labrys gulped, which was to say her voice box made an equivalent noise. "Understood."

Rei waited on the train platform to Aoyama-Ichitome when Ann and Shiho approached behind her. "Hey," came Shiho's voice. "What's up?"

"New girl in school today," Rei said casually, after checking around to make sure no one else wearing the uniform had appeared.

Ann grinned. "Well, obviously she'll be in our class. Right?"

"Most likely," Rei said. "Assuming she's a second-year, of course." Now that I think about it, how old is Labrys? For all I know, she's only a few months old. We don't know anything about these AIs, they can't be that old, right? Wouldn't we have robots running all over the place if the first models were a decade old?

Shiho thought about that. "Right, there's one seat left in our year, so it's probably us. We'll have to make her feel welcome." Which would be ridiculous, if they didn't already know she was the least normal of them.

"Rei-ch…" The voice called out, before Rei realized Haru had come up behind them. "Oh...I could have swore I heard your cousin, Ren-kun."

Rei swallowed. "I apologize, Haru-chan. She does not take this route."

"Oh...I see." Haru said quietly. "Ren-kun, would you like to help me in the garden this morning?"

"Of course," Rei said, smiling. She turned back to the other two. "I apologize, but I'll see you in class."

Rei dropped the latest batch of supplies on the roof, briefly turning her eye to Haru's injuries. At least they seem to be healing. "Haru-chan, why were you looking for Rei-chan?"

Haru gave her a slightly wary look. "Do you always pay such close attention to your cousin?"

Rei swallowed back her immediate flutter of fear at that. I need to tell her, she thought to herself. She gave Haru another look. ...as Rei, she decided. "I am aware of her orientation. She doesn't have an older brother to be protective. I'll do. Especially under...current circumstances."

"Oh! That makes sense. Sorry, Ren-kun." Haru said, embarrassed. "I wasn't specifically looking for her, but...well, she's kind of my only friend outside of school. Where it's...erm, you."

Rei blushed. "I suppose I'm flattered." Oh kami I really need to tell her. Instead, Rei asked "And your fiance?" Haru glared. "No, Rei said nothing. Your ring. That must be painful, which implies that you do it to avoid something more painful."

Haru sighed. "I...I can't do anything about it." Rei swallowed again. No, Rei. You can't assume that the phone's got the answer to every problem. "Please don't tell Rei-chan, but my arranged marriage isn't . . . isn't going well."

Rei raised an eyebrow. "Well, as a felon, I suppose you are consulting me for some violence?"

Haru jumped back in shock. "Ren-kun, I don't believe...you were joking, weren't you?" she trailed off on seeing Rei's lip twitch up helplessly in a grin. She sighed. "Though it is tempting."

Rei sighed. "As much as I would enjoy practicing my skills on your behalf, it would mean my incarceration, and given the nature of the prison system of this country, my likely death. I...require certain medications."

"Is it a family problem?" Haru asked. "I know Rei has those pills she won't let me see." Rei just nodded. "Are they expensive? I always thought it would be nice to help friends who might need something. It would make all this money worth having."

"Alas," Rei said with a bit more of a smile. "The hospital covers the fees in exchange for a chance to study the issue. It is rather rare...and embarrassing."

"Say no more, then," Haru answered with a slight giggle. "But if that ever changes, do come to me before you do something . . . stupid, I guess. I can be discreet."

Rei blushed. "Th-thank you. I will, of course, cover the costs, but if you have contacts that might be useful for doing such quietly…"

Haru grinned. "Ren-kun, I would be happy to help. At least it's something I can do…"

"You need to tell her. Soon," Ann said as Rei took her seat behind the half-Swede. "That girl's half head-over-heels for you."

Rei groaned. "For both of me, I'm starting to think."

"That will make it easier, then, won't it?" Ann said with a mischievous smile.

Rei shook her head. "Honestly, I think she's just lonely. She doesn't get to talk to other people much." That sparked another thought. "Maybe you should come too, the next time we go out."

"Me? I wouldn't want to intrude on your dates…" Ann said.

Rei shook her head. "She's bloody engaged, Ann. Another girl would be more convincing, especially a model. You're...almost respectable, in her world."

Ann winced. "Okay, that's fair. I'll think about it."

At that moment, Kawakami opened the door. "Okay, class, settle down." She gave Rei a look that could be mistaken for nothing but 'See me after class.' "We have another transfer student today." At that moment, Labrys stepped into the room. She had made further updates to her appearance - her blue hair darkened to near-black and pulled back into a tight ponytail. She had also traded out the red eyes for blue, or possibly she had just changed the projection color.

Unfortunately, it hadn't done anything for her tendency to switch into the Kansai dialect at the drop of a hat. "Hiya!" she said, "Name's Ruri Asai. Pleased ta meetcha, and ah hope we can get along." She bowed, then turned and wrote her name on the board.

Kawakami wasn't the only one raising an eyebrow, but she coughed. "How about you tell us a little bit about yourself?"

'Ruri' blinked. "Oh, is that normal?"

Rei could read Kawakami's 'save me' expression from across the room, but the teacher just said "Yes, that is usually how we do it in Tokyo."

"Right," Ruri said, as if needing a moment to think. "Well, don't got a lot of spare time on account of the part time job. I actually ain't been in school for a couple of years, it's all been online stuff on account'a a . . . condition. Really lookin' forward ta meeting all'a you, though!"

"Wait, you couldn't go to school but you managed a part-time job?" one of the students asked. When Ruri froze, Rei almost had a heart attack. She quickly mimed typing on a keyboard and hoped no one noticed.

Luckily, no one did, but Ruri picked up on it. "It was all...uh...data analysis stuff. Real good at math and stuff, not so hot on lit. Could manage it from bed, but I tried ta get up and move as much as I could." The class seemed to buy it, and Ruri noticeably relaxed.

Kawakami shook her head. "It's time to move on...uhm, there's a seat behind Amamiya, Asai-chan."

"Oh, good, wanted that one anyway," Ruri said, causing the whole class to mutter as she strode over to the desk and slipped her books inside with a speed that made it look like they had disappeared.

Rei sighed. "Tone down the super robot stuff," she whispered. "Or you're going to have to learn to do magic." Ruri turned scarlet. "This year just got even more interesting," Rei concluded as the bell rang.