Authors note:

God, I thought posting my story would be the most nerve-wracking part of writing one. But geez, that has nothing compared to reading my first piece of criticism. Thank you by the way, all of you! Criticism means that people care, so I'll gladly accept it.

Reading it again, I agree with you. The way I introduced the two to the world of persona felt weird and clunky, but I couldn't think of another way to do what I planned. I think part of it is a problem with my writing skills. I'm still new to this, so it's something I hope to improve.

And to set aside other people's worries, Jaune, or any other persona user, won't be getting Aura. The inverse will be true, meaning that no Huntress will be getting a persona. At least in the common sense. If you have one, you can't have the other.

Lastly, I think I should start looking for a beta tester. No idea how I would go about it though, partly because I hate talking to new people.

Anyway, onto the story! Enjoy, review. Or not, you don't have to.

Chapter 3: With family like this, who needs enemies?

"He used his persona!?" Mona exclaimed.

"I did as well." Jaune added.

"You WHAT?!" The poor cat looked like he was about to have a heart attack, almost falling off the bed. He collected himself, and sat down in front of the teenager. "How?" He demanded.

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Is it really that surprising? We all noticed the changes in our bodies after Yaldabaoth." And they were definitely noticeable. They could run faster than any normal person, jump higher, take more hits. Ryuji no longer had the pains in his knee, and could run faster than he could before Kamoshida. Not to say that they were as strong as they were in the metaverse, or take as many hits as a huntress. Sure, maybe a single bullet wouldn't kill them, but four? Five? They'd be down for good.

He and Futaba theorised that it was the world's fusion with the metaverse that caused the transformation. Despite killing the God of Control, his actions could not be gotten rid of. As such, there would be no reason to suspect they couldn't summon their persona. One of the reasons they hadn't was simply because they had no reason to. Another reason was that the ability to enter another person's Palace was gone with the app. The Phantom Thieves were done, at least up until now.

Mona thought about it for a moment, then looked back. "I guess." He admitted. "Still though, you haven't explained what this morning was about. Mind telling me about that?"

Jaune started explaining what was said to him, the same way he did to Akechi. "So, we just have a new mission, huh? Well, I guess it's about time the Phantom Thieves of Hearts made their comeback." Mona looked excited, almost visibly shaking. "All this peace and quiet was fun, but we both know it's not our style."

Jaune nodded back. He'd be lying if he said he didn't miss it. He always was a thrill seeker, even when he was a kid. But his time in the metaverse changed something in him. No, more like unlocked something that was always there, just hidden away. The rush when facing shadows, when he dodges an attack that just barely misses him. The adrenaline he got when his dagger slashes through a shadow that never even saw him.

It was one of the best things he's ever felt.

Jaune snapped back into reality.

"Back to what Igor was talking about, are you sure Akechi wasn't the one he sent?"

"I'm positive. Igor may be a cryptic bastard, but he wouldn't do something that would purposely hinder a visitor of the Velvet Room." Jaune swore that the being was only able to talk through cryptic one-liners.

"But then who else could it be?" Mona thought for a moment. "Do we know anyone else that could help?"

Jaune shrugged. "No one come to mind." He layed back in his bed, his arms behind his head. "Ehh, there's no point worrying about it anyway." He yawned. "I guess I should call it an early night tonight. We need to start searching for these guys as soon as we can."

"Yea, yea." Mona walked up and curled up next to him. "I might as well join you." Before he actually fell asleep, he let out a thought. "Hey, what if it was Justine and Caroline? I'd love to watch you run around taking care of actual kids." He let out a small snicker.

Jaune scoffed. "Don't even joke about that. I already have my hands full trying to take care of you."

"How could you say that to your cat? Don't you lov-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the sound of a doorbell being run hit their ears. It was accompanied with the echo of two separate knocks hitting the front door, sounding exactly how he remembered the gavel at his court case sounded, sealing their fate.

"Mona."

"Jaune."

"No, I don't love you."

"I don't love me either, Jaune."

Jaune stared into open air, questioning his life decisions. It wasn't the first time he thought back to the night that changed his life. He wondered, if he just decided to maybe say something, do something else, maybe he would be anywhere else than here.

"Inmate! Are you even listening to me?"

"Caroline, I don't think we can call him that anymore."

"Well what do I call him then? Ex-con? It doesn't have the same ring to it…."

"We'll figure it out as we go."

Here he was, sitting on a couch in a house that he was barely in for two days, late at night listening to two children complaining to him. How did he end up here? Was it when he crossdressed at a Crossroads? He swore, it wasn't his fault he had an effeminate body! At least Tae likes it.

He sighed. He felt like he was doing that way too much. "So you're the help I'm supposed to be getting?"

Caroline smirked. "Your damn right we are! You better be happy!"

Jaune deadpanned. "Right. I'm so happy having you with me. Where would we be without you."

Caroline's face brightened with a smile. She turned to look at her sister. "See Justine! What did I tell you! He even admitted it!"

"Caroline, I don't want to bring down your mood, but it seems to me that was sarcasm."

She scoffed in disagreement, only to blush in embarrassment when both Jaune and Mona over-dramatically nodded their heads in agreement. Justine let out her own giggle.

Jaune's face turned serious. "All jokes aside, how are you here? I thought you guys fused back into Lavenza?"

"It would be wise to not underestimate how powerful our master and his are." Justine answered back coldly. "We and our sisters are not technically human, despite looking and sounding like one. We aren't even technically born, simply made." She admitted.

"I see." Jaune accepted that info for what it was. While it was a small bit shocking, it was hardly the strangest thing he had seen. "So I am guessing that you aren't the same twins I knew? It didn't seem like Lavenza was cut up last time I saw her."

Justine nodded her head in agreement. "You would be right to say that. We were made using you and your friends' memories as a base, using our actual selves as an image. We are basically the same as before, but are different beings."

Caroline slumped in sadness. "And since we are not the same as our other selves, we are no longer attendants of the Velvet Room, which means we don't have our compendium." She pouted at the loss of power. "Which means we can't use more than one persona."

"Wait, then how are you supposed to help us fight?" He would already have to babysit the two in a social setting, he didn't want to do that in combat as well.

"We still can use a persona, but now we are like everyone else. We only have one."Justine pointed to her hat. "We summon them with this, though it still works as a normal hat when we don't want to summon it."

"I guess that's fine. One question though." He crossed his legs. "Where are you gonna be staying?"

Justine tilted her head to the side, and widened her eyes so that it looked cute. "Would we not be staying with you?" Ah yes, the dreaded puppy eyes. The ability given to any small child that was even remotely cute. Guaranteed to make anyone do almost anything for you.

If only she did it right. Her head was tilted way too far down, her eyes way too big. It was almost comical, if Jaune wasn't so tired. He face palmed, and sighed.

Justine realizing she had failed at her task, widened her eyes, in astonishment and disbelief this time. "Impossible, she promised us that it would work.." She spoke softly. Caroline laughed at her twin's plight.

"Just….follow me." Jaune stood up, and beckoned for them to follow. He brought them to his room. "It's way too late for this, so you just take my room for the night. I'll inform the head of this place tomorrow, so just don't bother anyone else until I do, Ok?"

They nodded. He went to grab his pillow, but left them his blanket. "I'm gonna sleep on the couch then, again, don't cause any trouble. Please."

Caroline crossed her arms angrily. "We get it, we aren't some amateurs like you. We know what we're doing." She glared at the teen.

He simply nodded his head, and yawned. "Sure. Anyway, goodnight." He went into the living room, his cat following him.

He made himself comfortable. Even though it was a couch, it was better than the bed he had in the cafe. Not to say that the bed was bad, the couch was simply that good. How rich do you have to be to even have your couch be more comfortable to sleep in then a bed? Once he was, Mona made himself comfortable next to him, though there wasn't a doubt in his mind that he would switch positions on his chest sometime during the night.

Jaune sighed. "We're gonna be busy tomorrow, aren't we?"

"All the more reason to sleep. It's already late enough."

"Fine, fine. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Tae stared at him seductively, her eyes never leaving his body as she made her way to the examination bed. She always made him a mess whenever he talked to her. His witty and charismatic side always seemed to take a back seat, leaving him as he was before the entire situation, back when he was just entering his teens. He was already blushing like crazy.

"Jaune, I noticed that you haven't been coming to our scheduled check-ups." She tsked, practically face to face now. One hand lightly brushed across his chest. "That simply won't do."

Everything about her intoxicated him, her smell, her hair, her eyes. The small thumping in the background.

"Jaune, -p"

He blinked. "Excuse me?"

She leaned back. "I said, -ke up"

He looked back confused. "Run that past me one last time."

She grabbed him by the shoulders, and started to shake him. "I said…" Her image started to melt away, the blue hair melted away to show a rich yellow. Her eyes turned blue, even the background changed to that of a familiar living room. "WAKE UP."

Ah, suddenly the thumping made more sense.

He blinked his eyes awake, as Joan continued to shake him. Noticing that he was awake, she stopped. "Thank god you're finally awake." she stood up from her kneeling position, and pointed at two very familiar looking faces that stood by the door. "Now can you please explain to me why exactly there were two children sleeping in your room?"

Justine spoke up with her usual calm voice. "Surprise."

He face-palmed. "Goddammit, you had one job."

"Oh, so you do know these girls. I see. That makes sense." She said in utmost seriousness. "One second." She turned around and took out her scroll. "Hello, VPD? I'd like to-"

Jaune scrambled out of the couch, falling on the floor as he did. "Wait, no, I can explain!"

She stared at his toppled form, before sighing and shutting down the device. "Then start explaining, or I swear to God I'll have you shipped-"

He waved her off. "Yea, yea, been there done that. I've heard it before." He sat back down on the couch. "Are you gonna hear me out or what."

She sat back down angrily. "It better be good." She grumbled.

Some time later

Joan closed her eyes, leaning back. "So let me get this straight, these two are your previous caretakers children."

He nodded.

"And during your stay, they ended up seeing you as some sort of older brother, correct?"

"Yea, totally." He turned to the twins, his smile seeming just a small bit too wide, giving it an unsettling effect. He would consider this payback. "Right guys?"

Caroline stared at him in confusion, and then started blushing when she figured out what he wanted her to do. She was about to speak up, before Justine elbowed her while giving her an expecting side glance. She stared down at her knees. "Y-yea, he's our big b-brother now."

Joan nodded. "Right, so can you explain to me why they're wearing some sort of short custom-made warden uniform?"

He sighed with a slight bit of exaggeration. "It's tragic really. Have you ever heard of Eighth Grader Syndrome? Basically, they think they're in some sort of show where they have some sort of special power. To them, those clothes are this custom made 'Anti-magic' armour that protects them from curses." He leaned in a small bit, and began to whisper. "Justine has it the worst. She pretends to be this cool, calculating person, but she really is just like her sister."

This time it was Justine's turn to blush in embarrassment.

Joan gaped. "Oh my god! That's terrible!" She believed it one hundred percent.

Jaune placed the back of his palm on his forehead, slightly raising his head to the ceiling while forcing out a single tear. "Truly, no greater curse could befall them."

"I understand, and can you promise me that you are telling me the truth?" She asked.

"I promise that I speak nothing but the truth." He lied as easily as he breathed. He sat up, and walked to the door. "Now that you understand, can you explain the rest out for the others? I think they'd understand better if they heard it from you." He yawned. "Well then, I'm gonna go change. Then us three are gonna go out. We need to get you two some new clothes"

Before he could leave Joan spoke up. "Jaune."

He turned around, and raised an eyebrow. "Yea, what is it?"

She didn't look back at him, staring at the same spot on the couch opposite her. "They aren't involved in the same thing you and Akechi are involved with right?"

The temperature in the room dropped severely. He laughed, but it seemed a small bit fake. "Hmm? What are you talking about?"

She raised her hands, trying to gesture what she was trying to describe. "You know. That weird, ghost thing that was beside you."

He motioned for the twins to leave the room. They did so. He closed the door, and sat back down on the couch. He was different than before. While similar to how he was in that cafe. This felt refined, sharp. When he was talking to Akechi, he was like a claw. While that also did feel sharp, it was more wild, animalistic. As if he was trying to prove his dominance.

This felt calm. But the type of calm that normally precedes a fight. She could already feel herself get tense. What was this?

He put down his glasses, and stared into her eyes with a piercing gaze. "How much do you know?"

"I know that Akechi is supposed to be dead, and that something is coming. And that weird power you have."

He sighed. "Do you want to know more?"

"No, actually."

He blinked. "What?"

She looked down to the side. "Well, I did. Want to know more, that is. But then I thought about it for awhile. And you know? Me and my team have done enough. We just want to relax. I'll leave this to you and him."

"Huh." He looked surprised. "Thank you, I guess?"

"Well, there's one problem." She looked sheepish, and started to rub the back of her neck.

"And? What is it?"

"I might have, um, alreadytoldmymom?"

"What?"

"I said." She took a deep breath. "I might have already told my mom?"

He blinked slowly. Then he put his hands on his face and brought them down. "Why. Why does this always happen to me?" He moaned.

Just as he said that, Mona woke up. He started to stretch, not noticing what was happening in the room. He raised his head and then looked around for a bit. He blinked, then turned to the downed Jaune. "Hey, what's going on? What happened?"

He just got another pained moan as a response.

Authors note:

Damn, that took awhile to write! I think I have decided on an update schedule. While they won't come out on specific dates, you can expect chapters in at most 3 week intervals. This doesn't mean that chapters will come out every three weeks. For example, the next chapter could come out in five days, or it could take two weeks. Five days is also the minimum a chapter could come out.

Anyway, again, tell me how I did. This is a learning experience for me, and if it gets bad enough then I might rewrite it. I really like this concept, and I want to make this work.

Thank you for reading, and again, please leave a review!