9/26 – Monday
After School
Cafe Leblanc, Attic

"Yoshikuni Nejima is cheating at arcade games, putting up impossible scores, and screwing over hard-working people," Ann read out, then scrunched up her face. She glanced up from her phone and towards the other Thieves. "That seems, like, really petty, right?"

"Can't you win quite a lot of money at games like that?" Makoto asked, rubbing her chin.

Ryuji adjusted to try and read over Ann's shoulder, and she shooed him away. "Get your own phone," she said.

"I have my own phone," he replied.

"Then use it!" She aimed a playful flick at his nose and Ryuji recoiled, swatting at her hand, grinning the whole time.

"Says here," Ren cut in, "that he's cheating at some game called Gun About."

"Oh!" Ryuji started. "Yeah yeah, I know that one. It's at the downtown arcade, there's a bunch of guys who always swarm the thing. No money for it, but top scores are a pretty big deal to them."

"That bastard..." Futaba shook her fist at the heavens. "There is no greater evil in this world!"

Yusuke chuckled. "While I do not disagree, you do recognize the irony of a Medjed founder decrying such manipulation of digital systems."

"I'll have you know," Futaba fired back, "that I'm a hacker for justice! No justice about cheating in online games."

"I think I underst-understand the frustration," Kasumi added. "Having a hobby like that being ruined by someone else, that must be really ups-upsetting."

"Are there any potential dangers from changing his heart?" Haru asked.

"Just the usual risks from fighting a Shadow," Morgana said, barely moving from his loaf-like position on the table. "Even if he's tough, it's nothing we can't handle."

Haru shook her head. "Not physical dangers. I meant more..." She pursed her lips. "If we change his heart without knowing the situation, would it be possible that it would harm him?"

A silence settled in the attic. Quiet focus turned towards Ren, and he wished that he had a better answer than he did. "It's possible," he said, slowly. "But that's always the case. That sort of overhaul could place him in a dangerous situation, or cause him to do something risky. If someone is relying on him, erasing his distortion could hurt them, as well." He could see Futaba tense from across the room.

"Has that happ-happened yet?" Kasumi asked, quietly.

"Not...exactly," Ren said. "At least, that we know of. The closest we've gotten, I think, is with Madarame."

Yusuke stared at him from across the room, clearly confused, until understanding dawned across his face. "Ah. If I had not been prepared to move into the Kosei dorms, or had friends who might be willing to house me, then I may well have been stricken homeless."

"We should put that one off for now," Makoto said. "Until we can investigate further, at least."

"I'll ask around at the arcade," Ryuji offered.

"Sounds like a plan," Ren agreed. The room seemed to relax somewhat, but a tension still threaded through his veins. "Does anyone else have a name to offer, or any requests worth considering?" A chorus of shaking heads or barely-voiced disaffirmations. "Then, I've got one last one. You guys have heard about the King, right?"

"I'm pretty sure her nickname is Queen, actually," Futaba said, with a sly little smirk.

The young woman in question rolled her eyes. "He means the graffiti artist, I assume. The one that's been painting pro-Phantom Thief slogans across Tokyo."

Ren nodded. "That's the one. Mishima and I did some investigating; she figured that, whoever the King is, they're probably trying to get our attention. Probably because they have a heart they want changed. And we got a name from someone who either knows the King, or is the King himself."

"That's quite incredible." Yusuke leaned forward, clearly invested. "While I am hardly an expert on such pieces, graffiti is a quite phenomenal medium for art. From what I saw of the King's paintings, they seem quite experienced in their craft. Or, perhaps, a prodigy."

"That kid was not a prodigy," Morgana added, scrunching up his nose. "More like a punk with too much time on his hands."

"We don't know for certain," Ren said, giving the cat a little pointed look, before turning his focus back to the rest of the group. "Our prospective target is Hanae Oda, she's a local businesswoman running a small loan agency." And, apparently, an outspoken PTA leader at a middle school in Akihabara. It hadn't taken more than ten minutes of cursory searching before he'd found a photo of her posing with her two children. A grumpy middle schooler with a blue hoodie, and his polite yet tired-looking older brother. Brown hair. Dark eyes. The very same two he'd seen on the young boy's phone.

"A loan shark?" Ann asked.

"Maybe," Ren said. "Hard to say."

Makoto frowned bitterly, staring down at her phone. "Even if she's on the up-and-up, her firm's website seems to be targeted towards impoverished or desperate individuals. Her 'low upfront interest rates' are especially concerning. I would assume those rates rise over time should the individual fail to pay back their debt."

"How despicable," Haru said, quiet and even, and cold.

Ryuji scratched at his head. "So, like, the King's got...debt he can't pay back, you think?"

"It could be personal, too," Ann offered.

Morgana stretched himself out. "Either way, that sounds like a heart worth changing."

"She has a Shadow," Ren added. "I checked earlier today."

"Hm." Kasumi kicked her legs, brow furrowed like she was deep in thought. "Ren, do you have a hunch about this one?"

He blinked. "Uh, sort of. I think it might be more personal than debt, but either way, I feel like the guy who gave us the name was being sincere." It was entirely possible he'd just offered up his own mother's name for some petty grudge or immature vindictiveness. Then again, what kind of kid would do that? What kind of kid would chance hurting his own mom unless it was for a good reason? If it was Ren, would he have put his mother at risk like that, for the sake of changing the way she treated him? He wasn't sure that he would have. But at the same time, he didn't know for sure that he wouldn't have. Ren knew firsthand what desperation could do to people.

Haru stared at him, odd and careful. "Are you attempting to protect the identity of the person who gave you the name? Or, the King's identity?"

"Yeah," he confirmed. "Both fronts, I think. It's not that I don't trust you guys, but I still feel like it wouldn't be appropriate for me to share that."

"I absolutely agree," Haru said, smiling just a little. Oh. He...hadn't expected that. "If there's nothing further, then I have no qualms with changing Hanae Oda's heart."

Ren kept his gaze from lingering, turning back to the rest of the group even as his curiosity spun idle tapestries in the back of his head. Every time he thought he understood the young woman, she kept surprising him. That was somewhat to be expected, he had met her very recently after all, but none of the other Thieves had thrown him for this much of a loop. Haru genuinely fascinated him, even ignoring Anachronism's leftover memories. There was just something about her that caught on his mind like lint in a dryer, going round and round and round.


9/26 – Monday
After School
Mementos

"Joker, a moment?" Fox asked.

Ren paused his stride towards the escalator down from Mementos' entrance, and turned back towards him. "Yeah, sure. What's up?"

Fox waited for the last of their collective allies – a confused-looking Queen – to make it out of earshot before he spoke again. "As you accompanied me to meet her last week, I think it only fair that I update you on the situation between myself and Miss Masumi."

"Oh." Ren nodded. "I mean, you definitely don't have to tell me, but I can't deny I've been curious."

"Nonsense," Fox replied, seeming almost genuinely ruffled. "I wish to tell you, and therefore I must."

Ren laughed. "Alright, alright. Tell away."

Fox chuckled as well, glancing away towards the far wall rather than at Ren. "I went back to Miss Masumi's shop both yesterday and the day before, simply to speak more with her. We had a lot of catching up to do, after all."

"I don't doubt it," Ren said.

"I've been telling her about my escapades as an art student, and about you all – leaving out the part about being Phantom Thieves, of course. And she's told me...so much about my mother." He smiled, soft and almost pained. "It's difficult to hear about her, I think. There's so much pain there for us both. But it has never been easier to think about her, now that I've found another who shares that pain." A little laugh, something so very simple. "I don't believe I have ever felt farther from loneliness. And I have you to thank for it."

"I'm glad." Ren found himself grinning. "But you've got more yourself to thank than me. All I did was push you a little."

"And I needed that push more than you might think," Fox insisted. "So, I wish to express my gratitude. Please allow me to do so."

"Fox, you don't–" He cut himself off at the young man's firm gaze. "Alright, fine, fine, I give. Go ahead."

Fox laughed again, and reached into his bag. "This gift actually comes with a small favor, if you wouldn't mind. Could you please test this out for me?" And he handed over a small cardboard rectangle decorated with intricate red and orange. "Goemon is hardly equipped for such a task."

It was a skill card. Agilao, if Ren was reading the near-microscopic text correctly. Just a completely ordinary run of the mill skill card. "Yeah, sure." Fire. Ren could do fire. He mentally flipped through his masks, turning towards the subway wall to ensure Fox had enough room to stand back. "Decarabia." The card snapped between his fingers, dissolving in an instant as a spout of flame ignited the far wall, blazing up from between the tiles. It held for a long second, then spluttered and began to dim.

"Did you feel anything odd?" Fox asked, as the fire faded. "Or, any alterations to the spell?"

Ren raised an eyebrow. "No? I don't think so, at least. Did you mess with the skill card or something? It felt the same as normal." He gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry."

Fox was grinning. He was beaming, smiling wider than Ren had ever seen. "Not quite," he said, voice strained, like he was trying to hold in a laugh. "It wasn't that I altered the card, it's more...well, the fact you can't tell the difference is more a compliment than anything."

A compliment? "I'm confused," Ren said, "why would it be–" And then it hit him. "Did...no, you're not serious. Did you make that card?"

"I might have," Fox replied, distinctly coy.

"No fucking way." He laughed, more out of amazement than humor. "Fox, that's incredible."

"It was simply an application of experience," the young man replied, looking like he was barely stifling a proud smile. "Both my own blade and Violet's were enhanced through such cognition-altering patterns, and I've practiced with canvases of a similar size in class. I will admit this was a tougher challenge than I was expecting, but I'm glad to see the results have panned out. Expect to see quite a few more cards from me in the future, now that this experiment has paid off."

"I can't wait," Ren agreed. "Even for a trial, that's amazing work. Guess I should have expected that from you, though." He chuckled. "You're pretty much always amazing."

"Thank you." Fox's gaze drifted somewhat. "I have...been perhaps less than I wished to be, though. While I won't say the Thieves deserve better, I am aware that my search for Miss Masumi has divided my attention far more than I wished it to."

Ren shook his head. "No one expects more from you, and I wouldn't ask them to. We've all got our own lives, no one can be a Thief one hundred percent of the time."

"That is true." Fox adjusted his mask. "Regardless, you have given so much to me already. Time, patience, bravery and trust, more than I can possibly express. It would be inappropriate of me to assume that I can, or perhaps should, attempt to pay that back, but I do wish to do well by all that which you have given to me." He smiled, soft and genuine. "You are my closest friend, Ren. And while there is yet more for me to give to the Thieves, I would be remiss to not show that same dedication back to you."

He didn't know what to say. What was there even to say to that? Besides, of course, the obvious. "Thank you," he said. "I promise, I'll make good on that dedication too."

Fox chuckled, and patted Ren's shoulder. "I don't wish to complain, but I do believe we may be going a little bit in circles, Joker. Let's not keep each other idle with continued gratitude." He motioned towards the escalator. "Our teammates are waiting on us, after all."

"Ah, right." Okay. He reached up and ran his gloved fingers across his mask. Time to step back into the role he'd picked for himself. "Let's go change some hearts."


Oda's Shadow staggered. But she did not fall. "You...brats..." The elegant dancer raised both hands over her hands, blades clashing against each other in time to the Shadow's gnashing teeth. A surge, like a physical ripple through the air, almost a heat wave.

"She's charging up!" Oracle's voice rang out. "Everyone, get back!"

Ren kept near the edge of the Shadow's range, making sure the other Thieves were out of the way before scrambling back himself. "Panther, your earlier attacks did some serious damage. Do you have the stamina for another assault?"

The young woman grit her teeth, almost wincing at the request. "Probably not. Sorry, I think I overextended."

"Dudette." Skull cut in. "No sorries here. None of us expected her to be that tanky."

"I've got spare dr-dr-dr-" Violet began, cutting herself off and simply thrusting a bottle of green juice towards Panther. "Here!"

Panther's face lit up, and Ren found himself smiling just a little too. "Everyone, let's buy Panther some time to catch her breath. Fox, Violet, Queen: hold back, keep her safe. Noir, Skull, Mona: you're with me, we're encircling her. Stay light on your feet, try not to give her any openings. If she turns her back to you, make sure she regrets it. Oracle, keep your eyes peeled, let us know if she tries anything."

Skull cracked his knuckles with a nod. Mona braced his sword over one shoulder, keeping low. Noir simply stared at Oda's Shadow, cold gaze locked on the vicious demoness, a tempest frigidity behind her irises. If she hadn't been on Ren's side, he'd probably have been scared shitless. He was still a little intimidated, but he forced his focus towards their foe.

"Break!" And he rushed forward, his own footsteps beating a war tempo matched by his allies. The Shadow snarled towards them, sliding her sword point-down in a wide arc. A spark across the ground, and Ren veered right, diving out of the way. Oda turned left, tracking both Skull and Mona, and Ren grabbed his mask with one hand and a skill card with the other. "Hecatonchires!" Mask and card shattered as one, and his stomach dropped out as the hundred-handed giant slammed a single massive fist into the back of the demoness's head.

Oda's Shadow spun into the blow, lashing out, sword outstretched. Quicker than Ren had expected. He dragged his knife out of its sheath with arms that felt like lead, bracing it between the incoming sword and his neck. Oh, this was going to fucking hurt.

Clang.

The demoness stumbled backwards, confused. Mementos' odd light shone across a glass-like barrier.

Two voices rang out in unison. "Persona!"

A crack of thunder, and a burst of white light. Ren felt strength surge back into his bones, green glowing at the edges of his vision. Oda's Shadow was still, frozen in place, jittering with lingering volts. And a blur shot past Ren's left side, heading straight for her. His hand flew to his mask, a name to his lips. "Power!" A flash of black wings and red armor.

Oracle's voice buzzed. "Necronomicon, back her up!"

Orange and green wrapped themselves around Noir, and the young woman slipped under one frantic blade, around another, slashed her axe blade shallow through the floor with a resonant battlecry, and then brought it up across the Shadow's chest. A spurt of dark blood, and Oda's Shadow faltered. Her legs wobbled. "Milady." Her back to the Shadow, not even turning to look, Noir whipped the mask off her face. A crack of gunpowder, and a bolt of energy struck the demoness between the eyes.

Oda toppled back, falling with enough force to shake the ground. Her blades slipped out from limp hands as the Shadow's form dissolved, fading into something resembling humanity.

Ren saw just a moment of Noir's face unobscured, before her mask reformed. It struck him that there was something so haunting in her empty expression, something so miserable and bitter. And then it was gone, as if it had never been there in the first place. Maybe it was just fatigue setting in, but he found a shudder settle its way down his fingers.

"Holy shit, Noir." Ren traced the voice to Panther, standing amidst the rest of the Thieves, all four jaws slack. Panther's hands were still smoldering from what must have been a fireball she hadn't had a chance to throw. "That was...remind me not to get on your bad side, wow." She grinned and elbowed Queen next to her.

Queen opened her mouth and emitted a series of babbling noises, practically speaking in tongues, and then cut herself off. "Yep!" she squeaked. Oh wow her cheeks were very red.

"So cool," Violet muttered, eyes wide.

Noir giggled, throwing on a smile and doffing her hat for a dramatic bow. "Oh, you all are too kind."

Queen made a sound that was almost a laugh, except pitched two octaves above her normal tone. Fox raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you alright, Queen? You sound quite strained."

The young woman covered her mouth with one hand and just nodded rapidly. Ren committed the moment to memory; he definitely didn't want to let her live this down.

But he had more important things to worry about. "I can take it from here," he said, nodding towards the woman's Shadow, crumpled on her knees, nearly limp behind Noir.

"Oh, please do." She stepped out of the way, allowing him to approach Oda.

The Shadow raised her gaze towards Ren with a defiant scoff, her yellow eyes boring into him. "Don't think this proves anything," she snarled. "I have reasons for conducting my business the way I do, you're too young to understand."

"Too young to understand that you're trying to provide for your sons?" he asked.

Oda hesitated. Her mouth was still open, as if in mid-reply. She closed it. Stared at him, brow furrowed, like she was confused.

"Neither of them asked you to hurt people for their sake," Ren continued. "Do you think they'd be happy, if they knew that? Do you think they want a mom who fucks over their friends' parents to put food on the table? Or even strangers; did they ever ask you to hurt someone? And for all you talk about doing this for them, how often do you listen to your fucking kids? How much do you show up for them?"

The woman seemed lost for words. "You don't...you don't know what you're talking about."

"Your kid was running around the alleyways of Akihabara, unaccompanied, with spray paint he probably planned to use for graffiti. Your kid who is currently in middle school." His fingers clenched in his pockets. "Do you really want to try and convince me you're a completely responsible parent, knowing that?"

Oda's Shadow winced. "No, I...it's not my fault! I can't support them both on my own otherwise, what else am I supposed to do?"

Ren took a breath in, and out. Now came the hard part. "That isn't for me to find out for you. Even if I knew the answer, it might not even be my place to tell you. You've gotta work with your sons, talk to them, figure out what they need instead of asking me what to do. It's their lives you're fucking up, so it's up to you to fix that. You're their mother, aren't you?"

She stared at him. "I am," she said, slowly, almost a question. "Yes. You're right. No more excuses. I should be better than that." Oda's form distorted, shimmering and glowing bright. "Thank you. I promise, I'll listen. I'll be the mother I should have been before."

Something ached in Ren's chest that he couldn't quite place, and the woman faded from view, leaving only a faint Treasure suspended in midair. He was almost tempted to leave it, to simply turn and start walking without any plans of stopping. But a leader like Joker couldn't shirk. So he reached out and grabbed the Treasure, stuffing it in his bag. "Let's get going, Phantoms. We've still got hearts left to change."


Mona didn't even bother hopping up on either of the nearby seats, he just collapsed onto his stomach in the middle of the rest area. "I'm so tired," he groaned. "And my paws hurt."

Futaba leaned down and scooped up the cat, sitting down with him in her lap. "Don't feel bad if you need to take a little catnap, Monamona. You've been working so hard today."

"Yeah, I have," he mumbled. Then he shook his head. "I think I'm too hungry to sleep though."

"Oh!" Kasumi perked up and reached into her bag, pulling out a small container. "I br-brought this for you. I know they're not real f-fish, but they're fish-shaped crackers. I thought you might like them."

Mona's eyes lit up, and he made little grabby motions with his paws. "Yes please!"

"Don't forget to say thank you," Queen reminded, as the feline dug into the container.

"T'nk'u Vi'ot," Mona said, his mouth full of crackers.

Ren dragged his gaze away – he could have watched his friends for hours, but it felt like something wasn't quite right. It didn't take him long to figure out what it was. Noir hadn't joined the rest of the Thieves in the rest stop proper. She'd taken a seat further back on the platform, her legs dangling off the side, staring out across the way at the Shadows on the other side, waiting for their ride into the depths of Mementos.

A hand on his shoulder, giving a little squeeze. "You gonna go talk to her?" Skull asked.

Ren shrugged. "I dunno. She might want some time alone, right?"

"Maybe." Skull laughed. "But you won't know by asking me."

Ren hummed a thought up from his throat. "Fair enough. Yeah, I'll see if she needs anything." He pecked his boyfriend on the cheek. "Hold down the fort for me?"

Skull looked away, rubbing the back of his neck in a distinctly bashful way. "Uh, don't I always?"

Ren just laughed. "Be right back, Sunshine." And he crossed over towards his teammate, soon out of earshot of what sounded like an intense argument between Panther and Fox over something most likely completely arbitrary.

Noir didn't so much as glance his way as he approached. "I'll be along shortly, Joker," she said, once he was close enough to hear. "I simply needed some time to think."

"Totally fine," he said. "Take as much time as you need. I was actually just gonna ask if you wanted some company. I'm here, if you need someone to talk to, even if it's just to let you work that stuff out."

"Oh," she said, a little surprised. "Yes, I'd like that, thank you."

He sat down next to her, letting his legs dangle off the side of the platform. "Do you want to talk about what's going on? You don't have to, but like I said, I'm here if you do."

Noir didn't say a word for a long little while. "It's been an interesting day," she said, her tone almost empty. "I found out yesterday that Sugimura will be away from Tokyo for the coming week, due to family obligations. Needless to say, it was wonderful news, and I woke up today quite relieved." She smiled, and for whatever reason, the empty expression reminded Ren far more of fury than happiness. "I let my guard down. And when I received a text from him this morning, one that–" Noir cut herself off. Her hands unsteady in her lap.

"I'm sorry," he said. "It's fucking awful that you still have to deal with him."

"Yes," she said, quietly. Noir's eyes had been towards the tracks below, but now she looked towards Ren for a long, silent moment, and then away. "I have thought about your offer, from back on the rooftop. In fact, I've struggled to stop thinking about it."

Ren's throat felt dry. "Yeah?"

"I would like to decline it." Her voice was strong, but Noir herself wavered. "I don't wish to take advantage of the mental shutdowns for selfish reasons, even when that reason is my own protection. I feel as though doing so would be mocking the suffering of those affected, of their families." Ren couldn't help but wince, but if Noir noticed then she did not react. "Should I kill Sugimura, and I do not know for certain that I will be able to prevent myself from doing so, then I wish to take full accountability."

"You can't–" he blurted out, and then forced his words back down his throat. "Noir, if you're caught, the court's not going to be sympathetic to you. Even with a good lawyer..."

"Ninety-nine percent conviction rate," she said. "I know."

Ren knew Haru was stronger than him. But he'd only been stuck in juvie for a year. If she got thrown in there for a full sentence? He didn't want to think about it. "I won't let that happen. No matter what, I can't accept you being stuck in a no-win scenario. I'm not going to let you be stuck suffering for the rest of your life because of him, okay? I'm not." His eyes prickled, and he looked away. "It's not fucking fair."

They were quiet, for a time. "You're kind," she said, and her voice was oddly soft. "You're very, very kind. I think that'll probably get you in a lot of trouble, one day."

"It already has," he replied.

"I see." Noir took a breath in and out. "If you had asked me again this morning, about your offer, I would have agreed in a heartbeat. I would have killed him, and I wouldn't have felt bad." Ren glanced back; she was smiling again, and every inch was an affectation. "It's frightening how much he affects me. I think I forget that sometimes."

He nodded. "Again, I'm sorry. For what it's worth, you're not alone. You've got me." Okay, good, but dial it back about five notches. "And the rest of the Thieves, of course. Plus, I could tell Sojiro to keep an eye out for him, make sure he's not welcome in Leblanc. "

Noir giggled. An honest little laugh. "Quite the chivalrous offer, Joker. But I think I'll have to decline it as well. Even without giving him the details, I'd still rather leave Boss out of this." She paused, tilting her head, giving Ren an odd look.

"What's up?" Something like nervousness settled in his chest, like some trapped animal straining at his ribs.

"Just a silly little thought, I suppose." Her gaze wandered, almost distant. "I have had some measure of negative reaction to most of the men in my life. Even the kind ones have often expressed themselves close to me in ways that I could not bear for long." She clicked her fingernails against each other. "So, I think it's rather odd how safe I feel around you. How much I trust you, almost implicitly." She gave a little awkward smile. "That's not too strange of me to say, is it?"

"Oh." Ren begged his brain to function in more of a significant capacity. "I mean, no, not at all, that's...I guess, I'm glad." He smiled in a way that probably looked a little awful. "I can't say I know what that's like, but I do have my own difficulties with trusting people. Like, a lot of those difficulties."

"Oh?" She scooted just a little closer. "Do tell."

"Uh." He reached up to twist a strand of hair between two fingers. "Has Ann already told you about the whole parcels thing?"

"Oxymoron's gifts? I believe you explained them to me in great detail," Noir replied, clearly confused.

"No, I mean like..." Ren took a nervous breath. Why did this feel so weird? Like telling her would somehow ruin something, or change her view of him in some drastic way. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the lingering anxiety. "Back in May, after I awakened to my Persona, when I got the parcels for the first time, I didn't actually tell anyone except Morgana. Not about the parcels, or Oxymoron, or the time travel stuff, or even the SRU. It was just...I mean, there were sort of a lot of reasons. I was scared Ann and Ryuji would hate me for not telling them immediately, that I'd get kicked out of the Thieves, that admitting I'd been getting help from Oxymoron meant I was less of a leader." He swallowed. "And that I'd lose something special to me. Something that made me worthy of being a Thief, being one of the group."

Noir blinked at him. "But you were a founding member. And from what Mona told me, you were the first to awaken. Why wouldn't you have a place in the Thieves?"

He shrugged. "I guess it's hard to explain. It was just a feeling, just a...really strong feeling. I guess, I was catastrophe-ing, or whatever the word is."

"Catastrophizing."

"Yeah, that's the one." The train pulled in at the station across the way, and Ren watched the Shadows slink into the car through the dingy windows. "Ann caught me in a lie. She figured out I'd been hiding stuff, and confronted me. I almost didn't tell her, even then."

"If you say one more lie to me, I'll kill you. I swear, I'll burn your heart out."

"She would have left the Thieves," he said. "I guess I knew that, cause I told her everything. I think I realized that...everything bad that could happen, all of that I was worried about? It would have been so much worse to lose her." Ren took a breath in, and a breath out. "And it still took me another couple months to really trust her the way I do now."

"I see," Noir said, quietly. "Thank you for telling me, Ren. Uh, Joker."

He chuckled. "Yeah, of course. I mean, I trust a whole lot easier now than I did then."

She smiled, something sweet and genuine. "How much easier, would you say?"

"Well," Ren refused to make eye contact, finding his fingers tapping an anxious rhythm against the ground, "I only met you a couple weeks ago, and I already trust you a whole fucking lot. There's still a lot I think I want to tell you, that I can't yet, but I feel like...I could."

"Hm." And Noir looked away as well, both Thieves now facing the far side of the tunnel. "I suppose it's rather interesting: I feel the same way. I have a million thoughts I haven't trusted anyone with, as of yet, but I have the strangest feeling that I could trust you with any of them. In time, or at the right time." She laughed. "I suppose we're both fools. Maybe that's why."

He didn't know what to say to that. So he didn't say anything at all. Ren just sat there with her, let the sound of the Thieves' laughter, the distant rumble of subway trains, the odd song of the collective unconscious, all wash over them. Drifting in the tide without moving an inch.

Ren felt an odd little promise squirm its way into his chest. Something so simple, so elementary, and so utterly vital. He wouldn't hurt her. He promised himself that, here and now. No matter what, no matter if it meant holding himself back, he wouldn't let himself hurt her. Ren wouldn't fucking dare.


Huge thanks to Jane for her patience with me on this chapter, and for beta-reading and helping brainstorm ideas. As always, she's absolutely amazing and does so much for this story and I'm so very thankful.

Shoutouts to hurricanesunny on Tumblr for inspiring Mona eating goldfish crackers.