Mitsuru stood outside the hole-in-the-wall Café Leblanc, pondering Narukami's instructions, as well as why a group such as the infamous Phantom Thieves of Hearts would choose such a place for their meeting place. It was small, tiny even, and in a backwater neighborhood of Tokyo filled with shady types. But the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. It was out of the way, so few people were around. The café itself, while little-known, had a reputation for incredible coffee and curry, which would make it a suitable cover for a group of teens meeting there. And if the owner was on their side, that would make things even easier.
Mitsuru took a deep breath and opened the door. She didn't know what she would find here. She just hoped that lead from Narukami would be helpful.
Sojiro looked up as the bell above the door rang. His eyes narrowed at the woman who walked in. She reminded him of Sae Niijima, in that their hairstyles were similar and their gaze and posture radiated both professionalism and danger. But this woman was clearly not ordinary. Her black bodysuit and white fur coat were sufficient evidence of that. More than that, her face was familiar, and it took him a while to place it.
"Mitsuru Kirijo?" he asked. "What's someone of your standing doing here?"
"Apologies for the intrusion," Kirijo replied neutrally. "I was told this would be a good place to come looking for a game of cards."
"..."
Sojiro was silent for a minute. That was the same phrase Futaba had set up with him a week ago to signal to Sojiro who to send up to the attic. It was too much to believe that one of the kids had told her the passphrase; they didn't have any reason to contact her, and for another thing, they hadn't told him she was coming either. Then that could only mean…
"Did that Narukami kid tell you that?"
"That's correct," Kirijo answered. "Am I allowed to meet them?"
Sojiro let out a slight huff. "Fine I guess as long as you don't give them any trouble."
"I have no intention to," she promised.
"I'll hold you to that," Sojiro told her. "They're in the attic. The stairs are over here." He walked out from behind the counter with a platter covered with plates of curry and sandwiches and opened a door at the back of the café.
"Thank you," Kirijo told him. Sojiro grunted in reply and started up the stairs. The kids were being at least a little quieter now that they were done screaming about their leaders' relationship, but they still weren't being very quiet.
Sojiro stepped into the attic to the sound of several greetings of "Hey Boss!" or something similar. He put the platter down on the card table, taking care to avoid hitting Morgana in the process. Finally he spoke up, "You kids have a visitor."
Kirijo was already standing at the top of the stairs, looking around at the small space and all the young adults scattered within it. Every head swiveled to peer at her as she stepped inside. Ren stood up and her gaze locked on him. "Apologies for the intrusion," she started.
"Mitsuru Kirijo," Ren stated. "Yu told me about you a little, said you would be wanting to meet with me at some point. Didn't expect you to be coming so soon though."
Sojiro turned to head back down the stairs. "I'll leave you to get acquainted. I've got to bring up the drinks."
Even if she hadn't been told about him beforehand, Mitsuru would have picked out Ren to be the leader of the group lounging in the attic before her. His black hair, steel-gray eyes, dark clothing, and relaxed yet poised posture gave him an intense and mysterious aura, not unlike Narukami's or Minato-kun's, but while Narukami was lighthearted and Minato had been intensely logical, Ren's lighthearted aura concealed a fire, a hidden threat that at any moment could be unleashed. Mitsuru might have been far more experienced, but even she was slightly intimidated by the Wild Card before her.
"You're willing to trust me to just walk in here?" Mitsuru questioned.
"Not much you can threaten us with," Ren replied honestly. "Are you sure you want to leave your associates in the limo outside?"
"My coming alone was intended to be a show of good faith," Mitsuru explained. "I felt that if I came here with my associates in tow, it would look more like I was coming here to stir up trouble, and with the world in the state it's in, that's the last thing we need."
Ren nodded sagely. "Indeed. None of us are wearing our masks right now for a similar reason. Fellow Persona-users should be willing to trust each other, regardless of how many issues we've had with that in the past." Ren returned to his seat and turned on the TV on the opposite wall, and the rest of the Phantom Thieves turned to look at it. "Have a seat for now, Kirijo-san. An interview we've been wanting to see is about to start."
"Do you refer to the interview they're doing on the Persona-users of our respective groups?" Mitsuru asked. At the nods of confirmation, Mitsuru replied, "Don't mind if I do then," and took a seat in a free chair.
Zenkichi wasn't really a public speaker. From what he could tell, neither were Akihiko-san or Naoto-san, but when the three of them had been called together to give an interview regarding the whole Shadow situation, they'd agreed to at least suffer through it together. Still, it took nearly all his self-control to maintain his composure as Yoshizawa-san called them up one by one.
"And finally, the police inspector who also happens to be the most recent addition to the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, please welcome Zenkichi Hasegawa, otherwise known as… Wolf."
Zenkichi took a deep breath and stepped out onto the stage to the sound of raucous cheers, even greater than those that Naoto-san and Akihiko-san had garnered. Summoning his courage, Zenkichi gave the crowd a rebellious smirk and reached up with one hand as though to adjust his glasses. In the middle of this motion however, he summoned his Phantom Thief attire in a flash of blue fire. The hand reaching up to his glasses tipped his hat to the crowd instead. After a brief pause due to the audience's surprise, the cheering came back, even louder than before. Zenkichi smirked once again before dispelling the black coat and hat and hurrying to his seat next to the other two Persona-users.
Shinichi Yoshizawa was chuckling when the cheering finally died down. "Just like a Phantom Thief, stealing the show," he proclaimed, still half-laughing.
Zenkichi forced a laugh of his own. "What can I say? Those kids have been rubbing off on me since I tagged along on last summer's adventure."
"A shame we're not going to be able to ask you about that tonight, it sounds like a long story," Yoshizawa-san replied. "So instead, I think the question on everyone's minds tonight is what exactly is this power that all three of your groups possess? What is a Persona?"
"A good place to start, Yoshizawa-san," Naoto answered. "To put it simply, everyone in the world has their own Shadow; a being formed of a collection of all the parts of themselves that they hide. When this dark side of oneself is tamed and controlled, it becomes a Persona."
"So everyone has their own Shadow?" Yoshizawa-san asked. "What relation do these Shadows have to the monsters that the Phantom Thieves have been fighting since the Outbreak?"
Akihiko answered, "Fundamentally, they're the same thing. Normal Shadows are usually categorized into Lesser and Greater depending on whether their form is generic or belonging to a species of sorts with clear strengths and weaknesses. Both varieties are born from the emotions and desires in human hearts. The stronger the emotion or desire, the stronger the Shadow. But Personal Shadows are a bit different. There's only one for each person, and they represent all the dark or hidden stuff in that person's heart. Any part of you that you repress will be put on full display in your Shadow."
"Sounds like it's really hard to tame them then," Yoshizawa-san inferred.
"It varies between our groups, but in general, yes," Naoto answered again. "Sanada-san's team apparently awakened to their Personas through a phenomenon known as the Dark Hour, where, by accepting their own mortality and using on themselves a gun-shaped device called an Evoker, they were able to summon their Personas. For my own group, the Investigation Team, we awakened to our Personas by meeting our Shadows face-to-face, facing all the truths about ourselves that they attacked us with, and eventually accepting them as ourselves. As for the Phantom Thieves…" She trailed off.
Zenkichi picked up again, "Things get a little more difficult to explain with myself and those kids. What I can tell you about it is this: the process is both dangerous and incredibly painful. The way it worked for each of us varied from person to person, but in general, each member of the Phantom Thieves was in some way shafted by society. Abused, beaten, used as a tool. In my case, an influential politician ran over my wife driving drunk and then threatened my family if I didn't stop pursuing the case. Eventually, each of us ended up in the Metaverse in a situation that forced us to confront whatever thing was beating us down. Again, in my case, it was my daughter's Shadow, practically spitting in my face because I failed to catch the man who killed my wife right in front of her. But when I admitted my failures to myself and swore to the deepest depths of my soul that I was done being a weak, useless lapdog to those in power, I felt it.
"I heard the voice first. Telling me that I had failed, fled from the truth and abandoned my justice. Then the pain. A splitting headache that feels like a thousand bombs were going off in my skull all at once. But I pushed through. I refused to be trampled on ever again. And then the mask appeared on my face. And by ripping off that mask, I summoned my Persona, Valjean."
Yoshizawa-san was stunned by this description. "If it was that intense, it's no wonder you got a costume to go along with your Persona."
Akihiko cut in, "My group's leader theorized that the Phantom Thieves' outfits and extra powers are a result of them fully accepting their Shadows, rather than the more contractual relationship the rest of us have. And if half the stuff I've heard about the members of their group is true, it's no wonder they've been forced to accept their dark sides to that degree."
"Is it possible you could give us any details about that?" Yoshizawa-san wheedled.
"Careful, Yoshizawa-san," Naoto warned him. "The Phantom Thieves' cooperation with the populace and the government relies on the anonymity of their identities. They don't fancy the idea of being swarmed by the press every time they're seen in public."
"That's why I'm the only one who's open about their identity," Zenkichi continued. "My job in the police force also helps make me a bridge of sorts between the law and the Phantom Thieves. It's a lot of work you know, having to juggle Thief duties and public safety inspections and add media appearances like this on the side. It's a wonder I ever get any time with my daughter at all."
"Well," Yoshizawa-san interrupted, "I would love to keep going, but that's our time folks! Thank you all for joining us here tonight!"
"All fairly standard Persona-related content," Ryuji commented, turning the TV off again.
"I think he's going back next week for another," Makoto mentioned. "Tonight's was on Shadows and Personas, but I think next week's will be more about the Outbreaks and the Metaverse as a whole?"
"I still don't really like the idea of going public with all this," Mitsuru admitted. "There's a lot of damage that could be done with all the information we're just putting out there."
"Unfortunately, it needs to be done," Ren told her. "The Shadow Outbreaks aren't going to be stopping until the Metaverse starts to separate from the real world again. The more people know what's going on and how to defend themselves, the better."
"Chances are most people won't be able to awaken to a Persona," Futaba reasoned, "but if the people capable of it know how it's done, there's a greater chance they'll be able to do it without our help. And besides, there's barely enough Persona-users in this room to cover Tokyo. We can hardly handle Outbreaks all over the world."
"Both compelling points," Mitsuru admitted. "Still, I have reason to be here other than watching TV." The older woman took a deep breath and looked around at the occupants of the room. "Certain circles of the government have been discussing various alternative solutions to the Shadow crisis. Public opinion being overwhelmingly in favor of the Phantom Thieves will prevent them from trying to openly confront you for the most part, and even those who fear your power won't try to get rid of you for fear of losing our greatest defense against the Shadows. But I have noticed some circles discussing forcing the police to reveal your identities for the sake of trying to control you directly."
"Good luck to them with that," Futaba muttered. "I tripled the security on the SIU's files on the Phantom Thieves after the EMMA incident last year. They're not going to find out who we are that way."
"Any chance they could figure out who we are by our features still visible behind our masks?" Yusuke asked.
"I don't think so," Ren replied. "Makoto and I talked to someone in Leblanc at lunch today whose friend was saved by Panther. He was able to tell she wore a cat mask, but couldn't tell what her hair color was. My guess is our Phantom Thief attire automatically hides our identities."
"That might be another cognition thing," Morgana spoke up from the desk. "The public knows you hide your identities, so the Metaverse enhances the effect to ensure they stay hidden."
"And Gramps'll be breathing down the necks of anyone around him who knows about us," Ryuji surmised. "Pretty much anyone else can probably be trusted, especially if that Chief Sanada guy is also on our side."
"Emphatically so," Mitsuru assured them. "My own team, the Shadow Operatives, have been keeping a close eye on your activities since the first calling card. Due to the lack of physical evidence and the presence of Shadow activity in Tokyo at the time, we managed to connect the dots to some degree as to your methods, and had Shido's conspiracy not made it practically impossible for the Shadow Operatives to operate in Tokyo, we might have even offered our assistance."
"No point worrying about that now," Ren replied. "We didn't do too badly without you."
"Still," Mitsuru insisted, "The Shadow Operatives still feel the need to assist you, both as repayment for handling things here in Tokyo and as fellow Persona-users. And since you've been using a simple attic as a base for your operations while we have an entire compound, I thought it might be a good idea to offer you a proper base of operations in exchange for your continued cooperation."
"What would this 'continued cooperation' entail?" Sumire asked.
"We're not going to have to drop our jobs and studies, are we?" Makoto asked.
"No. That would be absolutely unacceptable," Mitsuru confirmed. "I was thinking that after having a look at the place you were currently using, I would offer you a building nearby, especially seeing how fond you all are of this café. Something I find very understandable considering how good this coffee is." Mitsuru picked up her mug again and sipped from it.
"And considering Sojiro's my dad," Futaba pointed out.
"And that I lived in this attic for a year," Ren continued.
"Even more so then," Mitsuru replied. At that moment, her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out to look at the incoming text. After smiling at the message she'd received, she put it away again and looked back at the Phantom Thieves. "Perfect timing. The building next door to this café is both unoccupied and up for rent or sale. If I were to purchase it, it would be an excellent choice to make your official hideout in."
"Wha-! That fast!" Futaba marveled.
"Seriously!?" Ryuji was even more shocked.
"Indeed. You would all be able to move in within the week."
It took a few minutes for Ren and Makoto to calm down the Phantom Thieves after that. When the attic was finally silent again, Ren turned to Mitsuru once again. "It's not that I don't trust you, Mitsuru-san, but why do all this for us? You have your own group of Persona-users and we've done perfectly fine using this attic for the last year and a half. There's no need to buy an entire building for us."
"Even so, I feel obligated to do so," Mitsuru answered. She got to her feet. "It's not just that we were unable to prevent Shido's conspiracy from tearing apart the government. A lot of people have died because we were unable to enter Tokyo to seek out whoever was behind the psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns. We knew about Futaba's mother, Wakaba Isshiki, and her research into cognitive psience, and kept an eye on her, but we did not anticipate her mental shutdown, and as a result, Shido's conspirators got their hands on her research and have misused it ever since." Mitsuru bowed in apology to the Phantom Thieves' shock. "As a result, the burden of taking them down and fixing their mess fell on all of your shoulders. I'm sorry."
Haru took a deep breath. "You don't have to apologize, Kirijo-san. You're not the only one who's made mistakes. We've made our fair share of blunders, such as when our inattention allowed Akechi to kill my father."
"I'll admit I have mixed feelings about what you said about spying on my mom," Futaba admitted, "but since I got to live with Sojiro and meet all of these guys, I can hardly continue to hold a grudge, especially against someone who wasn't an active participant."
"We'll never know what would have happened if you had managed to stop Shido's conspiracy," Ren told her. "But the fact that it existed gave us the chance to become more than just a gang of high school students. Yes, we went through a lot, and a lot of it was painful, but it was only through that painful stuff that we were able to come out on the other side with as much as we have." He wrapped an arm around Makoto's shoulders, and his girlfriend leaned into him with a blissful expression. "So as far as we're concerned, you have nothing to apologize for."
Mitsuru stood once more. "I'm honored. Still, I'm more than willing to purchase the building next door for you to use as a new hideout. Give me the word, and I'll have my associates begin negotiations immediately."
The Phantom Thieves all looked at each other. Futaba ventured, "I mean, I still like using the attic…It means anyone trying to get up here has to get past Sojiro after all."
"The new building's right on the other side of that back wall," Sumire pointed out. "Couldn't we make a door there and keep using Leblanc to get in?"
"Ooh, that would be perfect!" Ann giggled. "We could have all the benefits of having Leblanc as our point of entry and have a new larger space!"
"And Boss wouldn't have to come up here and complain about the noise all the time!" Ryuji added.
"Anyone opposed?" Makoto asked.
"No objections," Yusuke said neutrally.
"It sounds lovely!" Haru cried.
"As long as I get plenty of space for my tech," Futaba cut in.
"Sounds unanimous to me," Morgana spoke up.
"Very well. I'll give the go-ahead," Mitsuru told them, pulling out her phone again.
"Just make sure you're not making too much noise when you put in the secret door," Sojiro said from the stairs. Everyone turned to look at him. "All my other customers are gone now. Is your meeting almost done?"
"Almost," Mitsuru replied. She turned back to the Phantom Thieves. "When I said that I wanted your cooperation, all I meant was for you to keep doing what you've been doing these last couple of weeks; continue fighting Shadows whenever they appear. As long as the Phantom Thieves remain active, the building is yours."
"Sweet! You got it!" Ryuji trumpeted.
"Speaking of Shadows," Ren said, rising to his feet. "I think it's about time we started our evening patrols. You all have your assignments. Meeting adjourned."
Ren walked Mitsuru out to her limo parked around the corner from Leblanc. The other Phantom Thieves had already split up and headed out to perform their routine Shadow-hunting patrols.
"Clearly your team has a lot of trust in each other," Mitsuru told him.
"We've been there for each other when we were at our worst," Ren replied. "We're a lot closer than a normal circle of friends."
"Much like how my own team as well as Narukami's were when we were in high school," Mitsuru replied. "But then again, back in high school, we had…"
"Your Wild Card?"
"You guessed?"
"I heard Igor mention other Wild Cards in the past. Including one who gave his life to stop an incarnation of death. And since a couple of members of your old team died while you were in high school, it wasn't that hard to figure out who Minato Arisato was."
The pangs of regret and sadness returned at the mention of the name. "Minato was our field leader and our Wild Card, yes. His aura was rather similar to yours, though with more logic and less passion. To see him smile was rare enough, but to see him angry was to awaken a demon."
"I don't doubt it," Ren said with a cocky smirk.
"He is sorely missed," Mitsuru continued, "but that's not to say we don't have a Wild Card anymore. In the months following his passing, we actually obtained two."
Now he was surprised. "Two!?"
Mitsuru nodded and opened the door of the limo. "Minako, Aigis, step out for a second."
At her bidding, two young women stepped out of the limo. The first was a fairly ordinary-looking young woman with red hair who bore an excited and curious expression as her eyes locked onto Ren. The second had short blonde hair and while her face was human enough as she looked at Ren with a peaceful smile, one could easily tell from her metallic joints and wide steel bracers that she was very much artificial.
Mitsuru gestured to the young redhead first. "This is Minako Arisato, Minato's twin sister. We found her not long after I graduated high school, but it was only recently that she joined the Shadow Operatives. The robotic girl is Aigis, a seventh-generation Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon designed by the Kirijo group who inherited Minato's Wild Card powers when he died."
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," Aigis said pleasantly, bowing slightly.
"Nice to meet you!" Minako blurted. "You're the Phantom Theives' Wild Card, aren't you? Joker, right?"
Ren smirked again. "When in my Phantom Thief attire, I am indeed known as Joker. But for now, you may know me as Ren Amamiya." His voice had taken on a suave tone as he bowed elegantly to the two ladies.
Minako giggled. "Ooh, I like him, Mitsuru-senpai. There's no way he doesn't already have a girlfriend, right?"
"Indeed, I have my Queen," Ren admitted, once again returning to a straightened posture.
"Whoever she is, she's lucky as hell to have a guy like you," Minako replied. "One Wild Card to another, I look forward to working with you."
"And I with you," Ren told her, bowing again. "And with you as well, Aigis-san." He held out his hand to her. The android accepted the offered hand and shook it. When their hands dropped, Ren turned to Mitsuru. "Thank you for everything. But for now, I must be off. There are Shadows that must be hunted this night or the day may never come." There was a flash of blue fire and Ren's casual black blazer and jeans were replaced by a black trench coat and a white birdlike domino mask. Minako stepped back in surprise. "I will be seeing you again, but for tonight, farewell."
Spinning on one foot, he launched a grappling cable from his wrist to the top of a building and swung upward on it like a superhero. Then he slipped over the edge and was gone.
Minako gave a low whistle. "Wow. Wish I'd met a guy like that when I was in college. Forget a Persona-user, that guy's a full-on anime superhero."
Aigis was still blinking in surprise. "I've never seen that sort of...what would be a good word for it?"
"Manner? Style? Bearing?" Minako suggested.
"Bearing. I've never seen anyone with that sort of bearing before. He seems very confident, as well as passionate about what he does."
"Indeed," Mitsuru concurred. "What news from the real estate company that owns that building?"
"Oh, they're glad to get rid of it," Minako reported. "The last tenants moved out ages ago, and they don't want to bother with renovating. We've got our work cut out for us."
"The Phantom Thieves expressed an interest in placing a door between the building and Leblanc's attic to allow them to continue to use the café as an entrance," Mitsuru reported. "If we can get the contract done tomorrow, we can have someone come in on Sunday and start the renovations."
"Alright, enough of the boring stuff," Minako told her. "Let's get back in the car so you can tell me what they're all like."