The night sky was beautiful beyond description. Countless stars filled the cosmos, and the full moon shined with a brilliance that illuminated the entire city. The only thing that marred the perfect scene was a castle with an enormous tower rising from its center; it was situated right in the middle of town and seemed to devour all the light that fell upon it, its shadow seeming to put all in its wake into a never-ending darkness.

It was this castle that a young man was currently in front of, and he did not know how it got there or where it came from. As he pondered what he wanted to do and if it was worth exploring this new building, it seemed the choice had been made for him; the doors to the castle opened, as though inviting the youth inside. Before he could do make a move however, an invisible force seized and dragged his body into the darkness that lay within a few moments later.

For what seemed like eons, he could see and hear nothing, his body feeling as though it was falling through an endless pit. And then, solid ground materialized beneath his feet, and when he looked up he found myself before another sight it had never seen before.

Giant doors, both of them a tarnished shade of gold, seemed to rise out of a fog that filled the entire room. They seemed to glow with an inner light and were covered in strange designs: spinning vortexes that showed an endless abyss within, and eyes that shifted everywhere as though looking for something. There was also a statue chained to the top of the doors, and the young man could just see the image of another, unknown boy etched into the stone. At first the room was as silent as the grave; then, a great crack erupted from the doors, as though a bone had snapped under too much pressure. A small rift spread across the doors, and a figure emerged from the breach: this person was dressed in a black robe, with a hood that completely concealed the face within and any other defining feature of the person in question.It slowly rose to its full height and regarded the other person through the golden fog.The young man felt his entire body seize up and a chill ran through his entire body; never had he felt a presence so powerful, so dominating in his entire life. The mysterious figure raised its right hand and pointed at the newcomer; as if on command, darkness surged out of the rift in the doors and completely smothered him.The young man felt as though he were drowning;he couldn't breathe, and an overwhelming pressure seemed to crush and drag him into the depths of oblivion.

Marcus woke up gasping, tossing his blankets aside in an effort to escape the nightmare he had experienced. The mind numbing fear that had gripped him slowly faded away as his small bedroom came into focus from the light his lava lamp gave out. He looked around his bed, trying to get a grip on reality.

"It's okay, Marcus. Nothing but a bad dream. Probably a result of too much stress," he muttered, giving himself a small pinch on the arm to make sure he was really awake.

After confirming he was in the real world, Marcus glanced at the electronic clock sitting on the bed side drawer to his right. The digital numbers showed it was 5 in the morning. Marcus sighed to himself in exasperation.

"So much for getting enough sleep tonight...Guess it can't be helped. Might as well get ready now."

Marcus turned off the alarm on his clock, which had been set for 5:30 am, and rolled out of bed on the left side, switching off his lava lamp set atop the bookshelf there. Carefully stepping over the pile of clothes he had piled up at the end of his bed, Marcus went to the clothes dresser set against the far left side wall of his room and pulled out some of his casual day to day clothes. After pulling out his favorite green hoodie, Marcus considered for a moment then pulled out a fresh pair of boxers as well and went to the bathroom outside and to the right of his bedroom.

Might as well clean myself up since I didn't do it last night. Want to make a good first impression for the newest member, Marcus thought to himself.

After a quick shower, the young man dried himself off and threw on his clothes, then went out into the living room/kitchen that made up the majority of his apartment space. His eyes now adjusted to the darkness, Marcus made his way into the kitchen and grabbed a banana from the counter that divided his kitchen from his living room. He then opened the fridge opposite the counter, and pulled out a carton of yogurt and bottle of apple juice and set them on the counter. Grabbing the closest spoon he could find, Marcus sat down on a stool on the outside of the counter and ate his make-shift breakfast.

Sitting in a calm silence, Marcus took his time as he ate since he was half an hour ahead of schedule. Once he was done, he threw away the trash and put the spoon into the sink before making his way towards the hallway closet. Checking to make sure his phone was still in his jeans, Marcus took a zip up jacket that was hanging on a hook opposite the closet, which had his keys and wallet already in the pockets. Putting on his jacket and slip-on shoes that were next to the door, he then stepped out and closed the door to his apartment, locking it securely. After a moment of deliberation, Marcus walked across the hallway, down the stairs set on the far end, and out onto the main lobby of the apartment complex. Heading out the front doors, Marcus then looked around and finally began walking down the street, passing by the bike racks next to the apartment building and the black hybrid bike that was his.

If things had gone as planned, I would have taken my bike over. But as it turns out, now I have the time to walk to headquarters. Guess that's one thing good about waking up this early,Marcus thought grumpily as he made his way towards the tallest building in the city.

On first appearance, the skyscraper looked simple in design. But this building was far more than that; it was a symbol of both influence and authority that had been established and expanded over the course of 3 generations. It was the main headquarters of the Kirijo Group, and the main base of operations for the Shadow Operatives. To some, it was the embodiment of power; others saw it as a threat that had to be stopped. In Marcus' opinion, the Kirijo Group was the hope for a better tomorrow and proof that there was light in a world of darkness. Despite the infamous legacy of her grandfather, Mitsuru Kirijo did everything in her power to restore her family name and right the wrongs that the old regime had committed. She even went so far as to help Marcus in a time of need, and take him in as a Shadow Operative, showing him how to use a Persona and training him to fight Shadows, creatures that feed on and are born from the human heart.

Approaching the skyscraper, Marcus gazed at the sheer size of it, marveling its beauty and thinking back on the meeting he had with Mitsuru the other day:

I wonder how this Labrys will turn out. If she's an older model, maybe she will be more robotic than Aigis...Marcus pondered as he stopped in front of one of the side entrances to the skyscraper. Only one way to find out!

Pulling out his keys, he swiped the access key he had been given and opened the door after the card was processed and accepted. Crossing the giant reception room, Marcus went to one of the elevators situated in the back of the skyscraper and pushed the descend button. Once the doors opened, he stepped into the elevator and swiped the key once more to descend to the basement's second floor. After a moment or two, the elevator doors opened again, and Marcus stepped out into the training facility.

As soon as the doors closed behind him, the lights came on and illuminated the space Marcus had entered. It was as large as the reception hall above, and had everything the Shadow Operatives needed. On one hand, it looked like a typical gym; exercise machines lined up against one wall, including a few punching bags hanging from the ceiling. On the other, it appeared to be some type of dojo; weapon racks lined the opposite wall, and the floors were covered in pads, with come benches and chairs spread out across the nearest wall. The far wall had storage closets, containing spare supplies and equipment for god knows what. Walking over to the nearest chair, Marcus sat down, taking a quick breather from his walk earlier. Checking his phone, Marcus saw that the time was now 5:50 am.

Alright, made it on time! I got a little extra time too.Might as well warm up a bit before Labrys arrives,Marcus decided, rising from the chair he had been sitting in, leaving behind his jacket and phone. He walked over to the weapon racks, and picked up one of the practice swords from it. The sword was a two-handed style weapon, and Marcus felt the balance and weight of it in his right hand, doing a few practice swings to get the feel of it. Despite his lean looks, Marcus had a fair amount of strength, enough to use a two-handed sword easily with one hand. Despite the drawbacks that naturally came with using such a heavy weapon, Marcus was an accomplished martial artist, and he used this in tandem with his swordplay, flowing from swings of the blade into strikes and kicks. His body falling into a steady rhythm, all the drowsiness in Marcus vanished, and the thrill of action filled him with an excitement that never got old.

After going through some sequences, Marcus heard faint footsteps from upstairs. He turned to the staircase set into the same wall as the elevator, and after a moment, recognized two different set of footsteps coming down to his level. Walking back over to the weapons rack, Marcus put away the sword, thinking about who could be arriving.

One of those people should be this new recruit Mitsuru mentioned. I wonder who would accompany her at this hour. Probably not the boss lady,as she has other things to worry about I'm sure.

Marcus crossed back to his jacket and checked his phone, seeing the time was 6 in the morning. The footsteps were close enough now that he could hear voices on the other side of the door leading to the stairs as he put his jacket back on.

"…Be sure to keep that key with you, it's your ticket into and around this place. We are now arriving at the second basement floor, where we keep the training room and storage for spare equipment and weapons. This is where I will introduce you to another member of our group."

"Sounds good. If he's anythin' like the other people I've met, I look forward to meetin' him."

Marcus smiled, recognizing the familiar, gruff voice of the first person who spoke up. The other voice must have belonged to Labrys, and Marcus liked what he heard so far. A moment later, the door opened, and two people entered the room. One of them was a young man, dressed in combat boots, bandaged pants and an open red hoodie wrapped around his bare shoulders. His hair was blond to the point of almost being white, and his grey eyes showed a gentle soul, in contrast to his body which was scarred and muscled like a veteran fighter. The other person was quite distinctive: a robot, designed to look like a high school girl, with a skirt and uniform to complete the look. She also appeared to be wearing some type of visor or helmet, with light blue hair tied in a long ponytail underneath and had glowing red eyes that seemed both curious and innocent.

"Akihiko, good to see you again! Last I heard, you were coordinating with Yukari and Ken on a new assignment," Marcus called, standing up and walking towards the two new guests in the room.

"Well, long time no see, Marcus. It's great seeing you again as well. I wasn't sure who Mitsuru would send. Knowing you, I bet you had a rough time this morning," Akihiko said, returning the smile and giving Marcus a light punch on the shoulder.

"Besides getting up a little earlier than planned, it wasn't bad at all," Marcus replied, sending a punch of his own to Akihiko's shoulder. "Nothing like a warm-up to wake up in the morning, eh?"

"Ha, you can say that again," Akihiko chuckled, "Although my routine was little different today too. I was called to escort our newest member here," indicating the girl next to him.

"Um…hello. I'm Labrys. It's nice to meet'cha," the robot said, giving Marcus a shy look.

"It's wonderful to meet you too, Labrys. I've heard great things about you," Marcus said, giving Labrys a warm smile before turning back to Akihiko. "So what's the game plan? Mitsuru didn't tell me too much the other day about what I was supposed to do."

"Don't worry, it's not too difficult," Akihiko reassured, "Most of the complicated stuff has already been explained to her. She even has her own Persona now."

"That's great, half the work is done right there," Marcus beamed, impressed at Labrys' accomplishment. "Should I go over the specific assignments we do, or should I go for a more general approach?"

"She's already been assigned to the Auxiliary Staff, and will be given more detailed instructions later today, so have a more casual meeting right now," Akihiko replied. "Help her understand what we are about and who we are as a group."

"Alright, sounds like a plan," Marcus said casually. "And how long will this meeting go for exactly?"

"Only an hour; Yukari will stop by to pick Labrys up," Akihiko said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"That's a shame, that feels like hardly any time at all," Marcus replied, giving Labrys another smile.

"You guys will have plenty of time later, trust me," Akihiko said confidently, taking his hand of Labrys' shoulder. "Well, I have to head out now. Call me if you need anything. Otherwise, see you around."

"Alright, talk to you later man," Marcus said, waving as Akihiko turned around and opened the door behind him, heading back up the stairs he came from. After hearing Akihiko's footsteps fade away, Marcus turned to Labrys.

"If you have met Akihiko and Mitsuru already, I say you're off to a good start. Have you had a chance to meet any of the other Shadow Operatives?"

"Yeah, I got to meet Fuuka-chan and my sister, Aigis," Labrys replied, running a hand through her hair.

"I wasn't sure what to expect when they told me about you, but I think we are very lucky to have you on our team. I look forward to building a beautiful friendship together," Marcus declared, walking over to Labrys and patting her on the shoulder.

"Aw shucks, that's really nice of ya to say," Labrys mumbled, giving an awkward smile. "Do you always talk like that?"

"Only on special occasions," Marcus replied, giving Labrys a wink. "I can be melodramatic sometimes. I love performing in theater shows, so it kinda rubs off in real life here and there."

"Ha, that sounds like fun," Labrys said, giving a small laugh and showing Marcus the first real smile he had seen from her. "I've never been to a theater before. Wonder what it would be like."

"Next time I'm in a show, I will save a ticket for you," Marcus promised, "Best seat in the house and everything! ...Assuming we aren't called to carry out a mission during the performance."

"Yeah, that'd be a shame," Labrys said, her smile fading. "I take it we have to devote a majority of our time to being a Shadow Operative, huh?"

"Not all of our time, Mitsuru understands most of us have lives outside of the group," Marcus reassured. "But as she told me recently, 'you never know when you have to be ready at a moment's notice'."

"Hehe, that sounds like her alright," Labrys giggled, smiling again at the thought. "So how long have you been doing this? Bein a Shadow Operative I mean. You all seem so confident about what you do, it's pretty impressive."

"Well, I joined up about a year ago; nine months to be exact," Marcus said, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "Mitsuru and the others have been doing this longer than that, probably closer to three years. We hunt down Shadows and stray fragments of the old Kirijo organization. It's a long story, but one I will definitely tell you when we have more time. Mine is fairly ordinary, until I had an…incident which got me introduced to the Shadow Operatives." His mood fell then, and a pained look crossed his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was it bad?" Labrys asked, looking at Marcus with concern.

"Yeah, you could say that," Marcus muttered, taking a deep breath and looking Labrys in the eyes. "It's hard for me to talk about right now, but I will tell you about it eventually since we're gonna be partners and all. I hope you understand."

"I do, actually," Labrys replied, a haunted look coming into her eyes. "I had to go through some pretty bad things myself. I was really scared for a long time."

"If there's one thing I've learned, it's that you should never let the past trap you," Marcus said firmly, giving Labrys a reassuring smile. "Learn from it, but don't let it define you. Become a better person, so that you never have to go through the fear and pain ever again."

"Th-thanks, I'll try; and thanks for not asking about my past. I'm still having a tough time accepting it myself," Labrys mumbled, giving Marcus another awkward smile.

"I want you to tell me when you feel ready, not because you feel like you have to," Marcus said gently. "Besides, I haven't told you my story yet either, so it's only fair we share at the same time. Now, enough with the serious stuff; let me show you all the cool equipment this place has."

Marcus led a more open and curious Labrys around the training room, explaining what each of the different machines were designed to do. When they went to the weapon racks, Labrys' eyes lit up, looking at the double-sided axe propped against the closest one.

"Looking at the axe, huh? It definitely packs a strong punch, though it can be kinda tricky to use," Marcus commented, grinning at Labrys' enthusiastic look.

"That ain't a problem. I use one that's bigger than that, and it doubles as a jet pack," Labrys replied, returning Marcus' grin.

"Wow that sounds awesome! Next time we meet up, we should have a sparring match. I would love to see that axe of yours." Giving Labrys an admiring look, Marcus suddenly paused at the sound coming from the ceiling above them.

"What's that noise?" Labrys asked, glancing up in confusion.

"That's the elevator coming down. Guess Yukari didn't feel like taking the stairs," Marcus remarked, looking across to the elevator doors. Has it already been an hour? Guess it's true what they say: time flies when you're having fun.

The elevator doors opened, and out stepped a young woman, dressed in a black jacket and jeans. She had short brown hair that curved around her head, and light brown eyes that could draw the attention of any man in a crowd. And with her slim figure, she could be taken for an athlete or actress even at her age.

After finding Marcus and Labrys, she smiled and waved while giving Marcus an appreciative look, "Hey you guys, glad to see things are going great down here,"

"Did you expect otherwise? I couldn't possibly mess this up," Marcus teased, giving Yukari his most charming smile.

"Ha, when it comes to you, anything might happen," Yukari snickered, winking at Marcus. "I'm sure you charmed our new recruit into being one of your fans by now."

"You wound me," Marcus said dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. "I have been nothing but a gentleman to this fine lady. Right, Labrys?"

"Uh, yeah, he's been real nice to me," Labrys said shyly, glancing at Marcus sideways.

"Well, that's good to hear," Yukari replied. "Time to head out, though. I will be taking over your training for today. If you will come with me, Labrys."

Pushing the button, Yukari entered the elevator, with Labrys and Marcus right behind her.

"I will be getting off at the main lobby. Where are you headed?" Marcus asked casually.

"Up to the roof. There's a helicopter waiting to ship us out," Yukari replied, pushing the button for the lobby and the twentieth floor.

"Sounds exciting. Enjoy the flight," Marcus said cheerfully, then turned to face Labrys. "Here's my number. If you have any questions or need someone to talk to, call me," He smiled, giving her a business card.

"Smooth move, hot shot," Yukari said smugly, "But don't expect too many calls anytime soon. I plan on keeping her busy."

"I don't doubt," Marcus replied smoothly, stepping out of the elevator as the doors opened to the main lobby. "See you around, Yukari. Hope to see you again soon, Labrys."

"Nice meetin' ya Marcus. See you later," Labrys called, smiling as the elevator doors closed.

"Well that was fun. She seemed more human than Aigis. Hope they don't work her too hard," Marcus mused to himself, turning to the front doors. "Now to catch up on some of that sleep I missed out on…"


"Now that's what I call a lunch. Time to dig in!"

Marcus opened the still steaming microwave and pulled out the meatball sandwich that had been warmed up inside. Taking his sandwich to the chair he had next to a small dining table, he sat down and began eating with gusto. It was now one in the afternoon, and Marcus was enjoying sitting still and thinking for the first time that day. After returning from his meeting with Labrys, he had immediately gone back to bed after setting his alarm for 10 in the morning. Once he got up again, he had set about doing his regular Saturday morning routine: gather his dirty laundry to get washed and tidy his room of any other loose objects lying on the floor. Once his room was clean to his satisfaction, Marcus had gone to the laundry washer the apartment complex had open to residents and, after about an hour of washing and drying, brought his clothes back and put them away. That being taken care of, he had combed through his small refrigerator, looking for something to satisfy his growing hunger.

Good thing I grabbed this on the way home yesterday. Not quite the Saturday I had in mind earlier this week, although it's certainly not my craziest by far, Marcus thought with a grin, finishing the last bite of his meatball sandwich.

Wiping his hands and face with a napkin, Marcus then turned to the black laptop computer he had on the table in front of him. Flipping it open, he turned on the monitor, and entered his password to bring up the screen of his desktop. Opening his emails, Marcus checked for any new messages of great importance. Besides a few ads and updates on various systems, nothing stood out; Marcus sighed to himself in exasperation.

I visited the company three times, submitted my application, and talked to one receptionist on two different occasions this week. They should have looked over my forms by now, and would have contacted me if they were interested in hiring me. Maybe I should pay a visit there again tomorrow…

Just then, Marcus' phone began ringing on the table next to his computer, and after picking it up saw that Mitsuru Kirijo was calling him. Raising his eyebrows, he swiped his phone and put it to his ear.

"This is a surprise. I wasn't expecting to hear from you again so soon, Mitsuru," Marcus said lightly, leaning back in his chair.

"I just got out of a meeting and wanted to keep you updated on recent events," Mitsuru replied, a note of urgency underlining her voice. "I have been informed that Labrys' instruction has been going smoothly so far. I presume you didn't have any problems with the meeting earlier today with her."

"No, everything went just fine. I'm glad you gave me the opportunity to meet our newest operative," Marcus said with a smile, but then leaned forward in his chair. "You said you wanted to update me on recent events. Has there been any incident that I should know about?"

"Well, this is probably going to be public knowledge soon, but I wanted to let the Shadow Operatives know in advance," Mitsuru replied slowly, sounding like she was trying to find the right words to say. "There's no easy way to say it, but we have been compromised."

Silence filled the room, along with a sense of dread that something had gone horribly wrong.

"…What do you mean by compromised?" Marcus finally asked his whole body rigid with tension.

"One of our facilities was broken into last night. Not headquarters, but one of the old warehouses that I had decommissioned," Mitsuru said, worry plain in her voice. "Nobody was harmed, but files were stolen. Very important files."

"What information did these files contain?" Marcus was shocked; anyone that could catch Mitsuru off guard like this must be very dangerous.

"The details aren't clear yet, but the majority of documents stored in that facility were connected to Tartarus. Not to mention the projects my grandfather performed as head of the Kirijo Group."

A grimace cracked on Marcus' face; Mitsuru's grandfather, Kouetsu Kirijo, had performed experiments on Shadows and humans in an attempt to gain power for himself. Alongside Shuji Ikutsuki, they had caused a series of events which culminated in the creation of Tartarus and the Dark Hour. Mitsuru and some of the other Shadow Operatives, called SEES back then, had managed to stop the mother of all Shadows, Nyx, from bringing about the end of the world, but at the cost of many lives. Even now, years after the Dark Hour and Tartarus had been put to an end there were still remnants of the old regime that remained. As bad as things were now, they would be a whole lot worse if it became public knowledge that not only had Mitsuru's grandfather been a madman, but also performed inhuman experiments and conspired to end humanity.

"What's our next move then? Do we have any leads on who stole those documents?" Marcus said urgently, spinning the ring on his right index finger.

"We don't have any leads currently, and while I have my suspicions, I don't have any proof to back them up," Mitsuru responded, frustration now clear in her voice. "There are too many questions and not enough answers. I need someone to look into and solve this issue fast, and I want you to be the one leading the investigation of this incident."

For the second time in two days, Marcus was surprised by Mitsuru's decision. "I'm glad that you have such confidence in me. Although I have my doubts if I'm the best person for what you're asking."

"Nonsense, you are by far the most qualified to do this," Misturu said firmly. "You can read people very well, even better than Fuuka can with her abilities. But more importantly, you can find patterns that no one else can, see connections where others see coincidence. I need those skills to find out what really happened. I can only do so much as the head of the company; I need someone who can look discreetly, without drawing unwanted attention. Please, Marcus."

Now Marcus was seriously unnerved; if Mitsuru was not only asking, but pleading for his help, things must be very serious indeed.

"Alright, I'll help you Mitsuru. But if I go around looking into files and people tied to the Kirijo Group, won't that rise suspicious on what's going on?"

"While I said this will probably become public knowledge anyway, I see your point," Mitsuru admitted, the frustration gone and replaced with relief. "Since you have a degree in business, I will hire you as a consultant for the company. That way you have access to all of our records, and no one will think twice about your investigations...at least anyone we should worry about. I will cover your more extreme expenses, and you will have a monthly salary of $100,000. Does that sound like a fair deal to you?"

Marcus nearly dropped his phone. This was the greatest offer he had ever been given in his life. $100,000 was more than he had received in the past year of working altogether!

"Yeah, that sounds great! Do you want me to start working on this investigation now?"

"As soon as possible, yes. Come by headquarters and I will give you more details, as well as access codes you will need for the higher security floors. See you soon." Mitsuru hung up, and Marcus put his phone back on the table with a look of wonder on his face.

I was wrong. This is turning into one of the craziest Saturdays I've ever had. I wonder what else might happen today…