10/31 – Monday
After School
The Velvet Room, Lockdown

"Lupin."

Blue fire leapt from Ren's lips as his mask disintegrated in his hand. An azure roil that cauterized the air, that burned shape to strength. Hollow flame, the shape of a laugh, and it coalesced into those dark embers of sight. Eyes like tinderboxes under the brim of his hat; a place where fire was born.

"Hello, boy," Lupin said. He rolled his neck, keeping his gaze unbroken on Ren. "I take it by your expression you come to issue me some manner of imperative . The master is pulling the reins, no?"

"As if I could ever force you to do anything," Ren replied. "You'd just break my neck before I could manage to try."

The young man chuckled. "Ah, you know me too well."

"Hello," Lavenza said.

"Yes, hello," Lupin replied. And then his mouth snapped shut. Gaze slowly tracing down to the girl standing at Ren's side. "Hm." And back to Ren, his eyes narrowing, sharpening, letting off little sparks. "You're pulling her into this little scheme, then?"

"It's not a scheme," he said. "Not a command, either. It's a suggestion."

"Call it what you will," Lupin snapped. "You and I both know..." His eyes flicked towards the girl, who regarded him with a steadiness bordering on suspicion. " Nom de dieu. " He adjusted his cane, tucking it under one arm so he could massage the bridge of his nose. "You know what you risk by this little ploy. If the Witch or Demon move before you expect them to..." A twitch-nod of his head towards the Attendant, subtle enough that maybe she hadn't caught it.

But Ren did. And he knew what Lupin was implying. Lavenza was a person of interest to both of their current benefactors-turned-adversaries. From a purely analytical standpoint, there could be a lot to gain by keeping her just out of the field of conflict, close enough to assist if needed. But if she had any role to play in this game of metaphorical chess Oxymoron and Yaldabaoth had set up for them? Lavenza was the king. A piece to be protected, not deployed. A piece that he could not afford to sacrifice. That's how he'd play.

Not that Ren would ever say that in front of her. If Lavenza wanted to be here, then Ren needed her here, needed to know that she was safe and busy and kept company. And if it came to it...Lupin could always buy some time if someone like that came knocking. It wasn't a perfect solution, but nothing else came close. This at least ticked off some boxes.

"I know the risk," Ren said. "It's worth taking. Trust me."

"Fine," Lupin grumbled. He waved a hand dismissively. "Suggest, then."

Ren nodded to Lavenza, and she accepted her cue without missing a beat. "Lockdown is not simply a space for Personas to spar with their wielders. If my Trickster is to depart without one of his masks, I will keep them company."

The way she phrased it ached at the inside of his chest, filed off the sharp edges of his guilt. Ren had a vivid flash of Lupin and Lavenza having a tea party and he had to bite his cheek to keep from grinning like a dumbass.

"And!" Lavenza continued, one finger up as if cutting off potential dissension. "I will use what tools are at my disposal to foster a steady growth of self. When my Trickster returns, he and his other self will find each other stronger than he left."

Lupin twitched. A little flinch of his head. "Growth," he echoed. "I see. So that is your game, boy." He reached up, running his gloved hand across the brim of his hat, teeth grit. "Where do I even begin to dissect this inanity?"

Ren sighed, catching a pout from Lavenza out of the corner of his eye. "I'll save you the trouble. Yeah, I know being without my trump card is a bad idea, but the rest of the Thieves are catching up to you. I can keep leaning on Cerberus when I need some firepower, Akechi's crazy strong, and if we really need some extra oomph, we could always bring in someone from the SRU."

"Your pride would allow for that?" Lupin retorted.

"Try me," Ren shot back. "In case you haven't noticed, I've been making a whole lot of compromises recently. One more won't kill me."

Lupin snorted, but did not reply further.

"And I haven't forgotten my promise to you," Ren continued. "I'll take your heart before I take Shido's. If you staying in Lockdown makes that harder, fine, I'll manage. Not like you'd ever let me win on technicality anyway."

Was that a smile? Perhaps a ghost of one. "How long?"

"A few weeks," Ren said. "I know we can handle Sae's Palace without you, and I want to make sure you're strong enough to help us with Shido. Akechi's deadline is a month, so we have to be ready to change Shido's heart by then."

Lupin scratched his chin. "Explain your logic. You assume I am not capable of assisting you in changing that vile man's heart?"

"Capable, sure," Ren said. "But I'd rather not get a repeat of what happened with Madarame."

The squeak of Lupin's gloves tightening around his cane. A sneer, half a growl. And both threats faded. "...as would I." His tone betrayed his reticence.

"I don't know what's in his Palace," Ren continued. "I know he's paranoid, and he's got access to Cognitive Psience research. Maybe he's put traps in his own head for us to fall into. Maybe-"

"Curb your paranoia," Lupin said. "I will not bow my head to some mortal prey." He shifted in place. "There are far more dire threats you need fear."

Mortal prey. A very specific choice of words. It didn't take much to follow his logic. Shido might have been far from small fry, but he was still a man. NeitherDemon nor Witch. "And do you think you can take down those threats as you are?" Ren asked.

"Hm," Lupin said. And left it at that, going silent, no doubt in contemplation.

"Sir Lupin," Lavenza said, lowering her head momentarily as she addressed him. "There is no bounty left for you to hunt at this time. I know you fear being seen as weak-"

"Non non non," Lupin replied, wagging a finger. "You are mistaken, child. My reputation shall not be harmed by such an absence. Nor shall this boy running his mouth undermine the truth of my power." Ren resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Oh, wonderful!" Lavenza chirmed, beaming at the young man. "Then you lose nothing by taking a little vacation."

Ren blinked, and Lupin seemed just as surprised, a little scoff escaping him. " Vacation? " he said, incredulous.

Lavenza nodded. "I told you, there is no bounty to hunt at this time. The Phantom Thieves will not take Sae Niijima's heart, and their new ally is taking a lot of the spotlight. Doesn't that sound boring?"

Lupin stared at the girl. "You offer me...a reprieve from boredom," he said.

"Yes, that is what I said," Lavenza replied. Oh. That could work.

Lupin let out a single note of mirth, a barking laugh that faded as quick as it had come. "Very clever, very clever. I see." He reached up to adjust his hat, regarding Lavenza with an expression Ren could not parse. "I acquiesce. You have convinced me, child." Lupin shifted a leg back, sweeping his arm over his chest and leaning into a deep and theatrical bow. Somehow, his hat did not leave his head. "I shall not skewer the boy when he departs this place, nor shall I attempt to abscond from your care until he returns. You have my word."

Ren reached up to spin a strand of hair between two fingers. Lupin's attitude still needed work, but a promise was a promise. He doubted the young man would go back on his word; and if he did, then Lavenza was capable of stopping him from doing anything stupid. If Caroline and Justine's strength had been any measure of hers...

"Will you depart now?" Lavenza asked, jarring Ren from his thoughts. He glanced down at the girl, at her patient smile. Something more accommodating than a child like her should have been.

"Are you okay with that?" he asked back.

"If that is what you wish."

He pursed his lips. Ren almost wanted her to protest. To ask him to stay. To take up his time. He wanted her to inconvenience him. "Do you think you'd be comfortable like...sending some sort of message or coming to visit if you get lonely or stir-crazy or something? I'll stop by when I can, but I'm pretty forgetful, so-"

" Bordel de merde ," Lupin muttered, reaching up to adjust his hat, his lip curling in some manner of disapproving sneer. "What even is the point of leaving me here if you are going to tut over the girl like some separation-anxious hen?"

Lavenza giggled. "Your other self speaks true, Trickster. You have more pressing matters than my well-being."

Ren stifled a frown. "Take care of yourself, Lavenza. Please."

The girl took the hem of her dress in her free hand and curtsied. "I swear, my Trickster. I will not allow myself to descend into misery. You have my word."

Ren took a long breath. Okay. He trusted her. He...trust wasn't the right word for what he felt about Lupin, but he could at least feel confident leaving the guy in this arrangement. And Lavenza was right. Not that his plans were more important than her, just...the Thieves had a lot on their plate. And Ren needed to do what he could to support them.

"Boy." Lupin's hat covered his eyes, but Ren could see the embers of his irises burning beneath that brim. "Your new ally. What is your intention with him?"

Intention? Weird choice of words. Ren shrugged. "I'm just...trying to be a good friend. Keep him alive. Uh...I want to help him find other things to live for."

Lupin snorted. "Pitiful."

Ren's brow furrowed. "What, you think I should just leave him to die?"

"Non," Lupin replied. "Your plan has little issue. It is harmless, perhaps effective. And it is a lie. " He leaned his head back enough to lock eyes with Ren, those furious coals burning away in the young man's skull. "For a boy who wishes to shun the man he once was, you seem quite adamant to lean on those old bonds au lieu de strengthening your own."

Shun the man he once was. Anachronism? So, he was leaning on Anachronism's...bonds? "I'm lost," Ren said.

"Figures," Lupin scoffed. He flicked a hand dismissively. "Make away, boy. Follow your past if you wish. I care not. But if you expect me to stand silent in the face of such hypocrisy, you are sadly mistaken."

Ren let out a sharp breath. Hypocrisy. Fine, sure. "Cool," he grumbled. "Well, great. Assuming I don't crash and burn, I guess, I'll see you in a couple weeks."

"See that you do." Lupin ran his gloved fingers across the brim of his hat. "See that you do."


11/1 – Tuesday
After School
Sae's Palace, Entrance

Ren stood by the side of a cognitive building, staring at the casino and waiting for his allies to finish stretching themselves out, the Thieves' idle banter washing over him. He reached up to fiddle with his mask. It didn't feel quite right on his face. Half a size too small, like it was pinching his cheeks in odd places. Maybe that was just psychosomatic, but...leaving his most relied-on Persona in Lockdown was bound to come with some adjustment, right? Fingers crossed those growing pains wouldn't hinder him for long.

"Joker?" Queen's voice. He glanced her way, finding her looking halfway to penitent, hands clasped in front of her and expression in an awkward wince.

"If you're going to apologize for something," he said, turning around and leaning back against the building. "Don't. We're even all the way. Uh, unless you hogged the ginkgo nuts on Sunday, I only got like three and I was really looking forward to those."

Queen let out a little exasperated breath, her eyes rolling. Good. Charming leader strikes again, bloodletting the tension. Joker doing his job. "I'm not. Or, well...no, alright, fine. I won't apologize." Queen took a deep breath in. "You're a good leader. The Thieves do well as an autonomous unit, but...if I learned anything from the infiltration of Futaba's Palace, it's that...you are better at your job than I would be. Than I can be."

Ren blinked. Okay. Not the direction he expected this conversation to go. Sort of abrupt praise, but...he was with her so far. A silent nod, an encouragement to continue.

"When it comes to the Metaverse," Queen continued. "You know the Thieves better than we know ourselves. You can find where we fit, how to shape us into whatever form we need to be to overcome the next obstacle. The Thieves can fight without your instruction, but it's your orders that have led us to victory more often than not." Another deep breath in and out. "I haven't been a team player. I've been so stuck in my own head, and I haven't waited for you. I've broken formation and made messes the rest of you have to clean up. And I want to stop doing that."

Queen raised her gaze, focusing on Ren, a firm oath shining in her near-crimson eyes. "I won't force you to adjust to me. From here on out...I want to be a Thief, not just some violent thug you all have to stay out of the way of. So, Joker." Back straight, hands by her sides. "Where do you need me? What do you need me to be?"

Uh. Okay. Ren closed his eyes, and opened them again. Hands clenching and relaxing at the inside of his gloves. This was a lot to take in. "Thank you," he said, slowly. "I really appreciate that you're making an effort to be a better teammate. That means a lot. And...I mean, if I see places where you could kick ass best, I'll call them out."

Queen nodded, leaning forward an inch or two, clearly expecting something further. "And?" she prompted.

"And?" he replied, tilting his head slightly at her.

"I..." Queen let out an exasperated sigh. "Joker, I'm asking you what my role in the Thieves should be from here on out. Where do you want me?"

Ren shrugged. At her immediate scowl, he quickly appended: "look, Queen, you're...I mean, you're talking like you've been just making trouble for us, and that's bull. Like, yeah, you rushed ahead a whole fucking lot last week, and it's hard for me to predict when you're going to jump out of rank. But, uh, you haven't like...gone against the Thieves. Like, you do stuff without being prompted. That's fine! I appreciate that you've got that initiative."

A little chuckle escaped beneath his breath. "It takes a lot off my back having someone like you watching the angles I can't see. I'm just one guy, there's bound to be stuff that someone else notices that I don't. And the fact you're willing to jump into an opening as soon as you see it? Queen, that's not an inconvenience, that's a godsend." Ren laughed again. "Like, I guess, if you really want to be more of a team player, just call out what you're doing so the rest of us can fall in behind you? Communicate better when you're pushing ahead, when you see something that I'm missing. I trust your judgment, Queen."

Queen blinked. She stared at him through that iron mask, those red visors. "I...see," she said, finally. "That isn't at all what I expected you to say." She turned slightly, her gaze wandering towards the Palace. The bright neon lights and gaudy displays of excess. "Maybe that's my father's expectations, not my own. He..."

Queen swallowed hard. "He instilled this idea in me, constantly. I was a perfectionist, or I was causing trouble. There was no grey area. I excelled or I failed. And...I think I forgot that the man was a moron." A tiny smirk twitched at the edge of her lips. "His ideology is full of shit. I shouldn't have to listen to it, any part of it. A broken clock might be right twice a day, but I still shouldn't check it for the damn time."

Ren smiled back. "Yeah. Sounds like a good plan. Fuck your dad and fuck his clock."

Queen laughed. "Yes. Fuck them both."


Oracle frowned down at the triplicate of plain white dice on top of that green felt table through her goggles, brow furrowed. "High," she said, finally, slapping a quintuplet of 5-coins onto the table.

"The customer selects high," the masked Shadow dealer parroted back. They scooped up the dice in one smooth sweep, shaking them together with little twists of the wrist, without so much as pivoting their shoulder or torso. "If the total of the dice is eleven to eighteen, the customer will win. If the total of the dice is ten to three, the customer will lose. If the dice all display the same number, the customer will win double regardless of the total."

"Come on," Skull mumbled, hands clenched into fists. "Come onnnnn..."

The dealer let the dice fly. They spun across the felt, and Ren found his breath stalling in his throat. Clattering and spiraling and, finally, settling. Three, four, three. "The total is ten," the dealer declared. "The house wins." With that same sweeping motion, they collected Oracle's coins.

"Again?" Panther groaned. "How do we keep losing by one? Even weighted dice wouldn't be that good."

"It seems Miss Niijima has a quite outdated definition of subtlety," Crow chuckled. He was observing the game from the sidelines, while the rest of the Thieves were loosely assembled behind Oracle. "Average results become far less so when chained consecutively. And that would of course be ignoring the fact that those average results should statistically align in our favor half the time. If this were a fair casino, that is."

"If you have any concerns about our games," the Shadow dealer chirped. "Our support staff would be more than happy to clear up any accusations of foul play."

Ren's gaze lingered on the dealer before returning to his sister. "Well, at least all this losing got us some data on the games, right Oracle?"

Oracle didn't respond right away. Her posture was tense. "One more," she said.

"Sorry?"

"One more game. Then...for sure."

Ren stared at her. "Do you...plan on winning that game?"

Oracle's slow wince and the silence that followed that question were both answer enough.

Fox opened his bag, frowning down at the contents. "We have fifty coins left of our gratuity. Only enough for two further plays." He glanced towards Oracle. "Other games in this casino require an entry fee of exactly fifty."

"I know," she said. Oracle let out a sharp breath. "It's...stupid, I don't get it. She's messing with the game, I know her cognition is tampering. I should be able to see it." She reached up and tapped aggressively at the side of her goggles, then winced, as if the motion hurt herself. Or...hurt Necronomicon? "Sorry. I'm...ugh, it's...it's stupid! I don't know what I'm missing!" Oracle kicked at nothing, tapping her boot against the table.

"If you have any concerns about our games," the Shadow dealer said. "Our support staff-"

"Shut it," Oracle grumbled. The Dealer obediently stopped talking.

"I'm not seeing anything either," Mona whined, straining in the chair he was standing in, his chin on the table.

Noir hummed a thought. "Perhaps it's simple, like a rule. 'I cannot lose,' or something similar."

Oracle shook her head, then hesitated. "I mean..." Shook her head again. "Cognition kinda works like that, but it's not that simple. It can't just...preemptively override reality, not without like...impossible meddling. Meddling I should be able to see ." A huff of breath. "I mean, Sae definitely believes she can't lose, you're not wrong. But it can't just snap to that." She tapped the back of her hand against her palm, twisting her head from side to side in some manner of idle fidget. "You observe a result, then a distorted cognition rejects that reality, and substitutes its own. She shouldn't be able to circumvent that."

"It would look exceptionally suspicious if the dice changed after they settled," Fox noted.

"They don't have to change then," Oracle replied. "It's not...causality gets a little fucky in the Metaverse sometimes, right? I mean, like..." Another frustrated sigh. "Cause and effect is pretty constant, but Palace rulers can preempt some stuff. Like...how if you're in a dream, sometimes you know the result of something before it finishes happening, and then if you're lucid dreaming, you can change it. Kind of." Oracle flapped her hands, clearly agitated. "Kind of!"

"Like how Madarame was able to react that quick in his Palace?" Skull asked. "With the whole ink ocean and paintbrush thing. It was like he saw what we were gonna do before we did it."

"I dunno," Oracle grumbled. "I wasn't there ."

Skull winced. "Oh, right, yeah, uh, sorry Navi." Even the playful nickname didn't seem to stir Oracle's misery.

Ren took a deep breath in. "I think we should explore some other options," he said. "We can't risk getting cut off from other games if we find one that's easier to exploit." Oracle's shoulders fell, and Ren bit back a grimace. It was a bitter pill to swallow, he knew that. "We can come back here when we have more intel and try again?" Ugh, don't duck out, say it with confidence. "Observing the other games should give you info. We can watch the Shadows play, and then figure out how the games are rigged that way."

"If you have any concerns about our games," the Shadow dealer cut in. "Our support staff would-"

" Shut up ," Ren said, in perfect time with Panther, Skull and Mona's own shared sentiment.

"Hm," Queen said. Her hand was on her chin, brow furrowed.

Ren glanced her way. "Queen? Notice something?"

She lowered her hand. "Excuse me," she said, crisp and clear. "I believe this dice game is rigged."

The dealer replied immediately. "If you have any concerns about our games, our support staff would be more than happy to clear up any accusations of foul play."

A little smirk danced across Queen's face. "Clear up accusations, huh? I'm guessing that means they'll show us how the game works. Maybe we can get a behind-the-scenes tour." Holy shit.

"Holy shit," Skull muttered.

"Very clever," Crow said. "I hate to admit, but you arrived at the idea quicker than I did."

"Then, I guess that's our next step." Queen cracked her neck. "Let's take them up on that offer."

"Did your plan happen to involve getting surrounded?" Crow asked, sending a little smirk towards Queen. "I do hope you at least prepared a contingency."

Oracle's voice crackled through the comms. "Shut up and focus on the actual Shadows, Crow!"

"Noted," he chirped back.


The Thieves were flanked on three sides, and backed against a sheer drop. They'd been escorted into the back areas of the casino by security, who had led them directly into a trap. A sort of intersection of hallways, both the way forward and back and off to one side now held no less than four guards each, in the process of shedding their initial masks. Seemed the bulk of them were some form of dancing witch, with long blade-like claws, thick manes of black hair and no lower body to speak of. And behind them, father down the path forward, was the visage of a young Middle Eastern man with red eyes and a horned helm, a cup in one hand. The apparent leader, gesticulating commands with his free hand like some kind of dictator. The only path that wasn't filled with Shadows was an easily two-story drop to the lower level, with only a precarious safety rail between them and a broken bone at least .

"What's the plan, Joker?" Mona asked, glancing between their foes with restless anxiety.

"Clear a path," he replied. One hand up to his mask. "We need to funnel these Shadows together, clump them up. Once we get some breathing room, we can retreat back down the corridor, draw them in, then push through."

"And the Thieves have the firepower to do so?" Crow asked. "We are down one of our trump cards, don't forget."

Ah. Ren winced. Right. Arsene. As much as the words stung, Akechi had a point."If we don't," Ren replied. "Then let's leave ourselves an exit strategy." He wore his bottom lip between his teeth. Forward or backward? Further into danger, or further away from the Shadows' leader? "Oracle, I need you to run a scan on the path in front of us, look for any points of safety or ways to escape back into the casino proper."

"Got it." Her side of the comms clicked off.

That search wouldn't be immediate. "Queen, think you can buy us time?" Silence. "Queen?" Ren glanced around to find her brow furrowed, gaze locked forward on the Shadow leader.

"We're pushing forward?" she asked.

"Unless you have a better idea," Ren replied.

An odd, wild smirk danced across her lips. "Yeah. But we'll have to clear the path back first. Draw him in. Then..." She jerked her head to the left.

Towards the drop.

Ren blinked. Okay. Okay! "Oracle, put that search on hold. Stay on comms with Queen, make sure you're following her instructions." Ignoring his sister's whine of protest, he turned to the rest of his allies. "Skull, Noir, keep the leader and his goons occupied - pick off some of the minions, but don't bother with the leader. Panther, with me, let's prune down our flank. Everyone else, we're pulling back for a moment, let's clear that rear path. Any questions?"

None arrived. "Break!" And the Thieves split.

Ren veered right as the pounding of footsteps around and behind him gave way to the shattering of masks and the screeching of Shadows. He yanked Anachronism's knife from its sheath and brought it across one of the sorceresses, spinning from that slash and ducking under another's swipe before burying the blade in a third.

"Joker, go low!" Panter's voice and the mixing sound of both a sharp whistle and the splintering of porcelain.

He yanked the knife free and threw himself to the floor, barely able to pivot his gaze upwards in time to see a flaming whip-blade tear through half a dozen Shadows in a single swipe. Ren allowed himself a single impressed whistle before shoving off the ground, up again and into the impending embrace of a gleefully shrieking Rangda. The lights above glinted off her talons. She brought her arms in.

"Cer-"

The twang of a bowstring. The Shadow burst into a cloud of dust, disintegrating instantly, drenching Ren in remnant-darkness.

Ren coughed once and shook himself off, loosing the dust from his coat and hair. "Thanks Crow!" he called.

"You're quite welcome!" came a strained, cheery reply, as if Crow were trying to keep frustration from his tone.

"Focus!" Panther's voice. Ren dragged his attention back, turning to find his teammate chucking a fireball into the side hallway, sending Shadows scattering backwards.

"Sorry." Ren jogged a few steps to join her. "We're just trying to hold these guys back. Fire wall?"

Panther nodded. "Keep your heat towards the center. The walls and floor are metal, so superheating that would be bad news for us."

"And these witches can float," Ren added. He grabbed his mask. "Going blue?"

"Only if you can match me," Ann replied with a smirk.

"Just watch." Breath in. Showtime, boys. "Cerberus!" A thunderous shattering as the three-headed beast manifested, a sound that blended perfectly into its immediate roar.

Cerberus poised back its triplicate maws, each igniting with a roiling flame with the approximate pitch of a tea kettle scream as red fire gave way to pale, steady blue. And they let loose at the same time as Panther. She thrust her palms towards their foes, a strained wheeze escaping her as the flame lept from her hands, blending into the torrent from Cerberus's maws.

A glowing blue sun coalesced into the side corridor, a cerulean sphere with tongues of flame licking the sides of the corridor, spewing out flare after flare out into the crowd of Shadows. The now-warm room filled with the sour scent of burning hair.

"The path's clear!" Queen's shout from behind them.

"On our way!" Ren pulled back on Cerberus's reigns, and the Persona let out a single disapproving huff before vanishing back into his mask. "Panther, let's go."

She nodded, pivoted away. Stumbled. Ren caught her arm, steadied her movement, pushed them both forward. Fox was by their side in an instant, sending a cascade of hail across the Shadows encroaching on both them and the retreating Skull and Noir.

"Sup," Skull said, as the four of them reached the rear hallway at once. "You both okay?"

"Tired," Panther managed. She had one arm in her bag, clearly digging around for something to refuel herself. "What I wouldn't...give for...another one of...Violet's snacks...right now."

"I'm not sharing mine!" Oracle chimed in.

Ren laughed. "I'm alright too." He pulled his attention around towards the impending threat, spinning his knife around in his grip. "Back to the dance floor, folks. Night's still young."

Noir giggled. "It's usually all about 'showtime' with you, dear. I think you might be mixing metaphors."

Ren's breath escaped him in a wheeze. "Can't it be both? Like, a party and a performance?"

"It's neither." Queen's voice, and the sound of cracking knuckles as she made her way to the front. "It's a culling." Ren's spine tingled; he glanced towards Queen to see a grin weaving its way across her face, her eyes practically glowing in her mask. "And look who finally decided to show." She nodded towards the crowd of Shadows, and Ren followed the gesture.

A pair of horns, steady through the cautious mass, the throng of lesser Shadows weaving to and fro.

"There's our target," Ren said. He brought a hand up to his mask. "Queen, it's your call."

"Lightning and Bless magic," she said, simply. Bent back, eyes forward, hands tense yet open in front of her chest. The spitting image of an American quarterback. "Skull, Joker, Crow. Fry 'em."

Ren found himself echoing her grin. "On it." He took a breath in, steeling his nerves. "Ready, Sunshine?"

"As I'll ever be," Skull replied, grabbing his own mask.

"Don't ask," Crow said, before Ren could say another word. He brought his hand up across his eyes, taking hold of the red mask. "I'm always ready." A dancing smirk before he tore the garment free. "Now, Robin!"

"Bring it down, Captain!" The shattering of a second mask.

"Daisoujou!" Ren's own disintegrated in his grip.

A thunderous cascade of voltaic brilliance descended from on high, crackling arcs the approximate luminescence of young stars sparking out from wall to ceiling to wall again. The Shadows in their way didn't so much crumple as evaporate , the bolts tearing through them like Damascus steel through a napkin. The remaining witches froze in place for the better half a second before turning and bolting, screeching away from the neon death trap. Their leader stood his ground, though he was somewhat buffeted by the tide of cowardice attempting to flee through him.

Queen didn't stay put either. "Oracle, now!" And she dove forward, sprinting straight towards the photon storm. Ren's stomach lurched out of his body. He couldn't pull back fast enough. He couldn't dismiss his Persona in time.

"Queen!?" Panther's voice, as terrified as Ren felt.

"Yeah, yeah!" came Oracle's voice through the comms. "Position hack, firing...now!"

And Queen blipped . That was the only word Ren could think to describe it. For an instant, she was gone, and the next, she was a foot in the air and ten feet ahead of her previous position. Past the storm without ever setting foot inside it. One hand up. Her boxing wrap already starting to glow with incandescent power.

The Shadow leader's stern face drained of color. Red eyes widened.

"Get the fuck out of my sister's head!" Queen yelled.

And she brought her fist directly into the side of the Shadow's skull.

His helmet cracked.

The Shadow stumbled, off balance, dripping dark ichor from his mouth, and a similar fluid sloshing over the sides of his cup. Not defeated. Already starting to reach for his lost composure.

Queen didn't let him regain it. Without so much as a word, she went low, and sprung towards him. Shoulder into his gut. His arms splayed, eyes still wide. Backwards and up and over the railing.

And both Shadow and Thief toppled over the side and out of view.

"Queen!" Mona's voice. A sharp blast of wind slammed into Ren's back, sending him stumbling forward, knocking him out of his stupor. Tearing the lingering magic out of the hallway, dispersing it.

"Milady , clear the way!" Noir's. She sounded scared . Shimmering panes of glass atop the ground, smothering the sparks still dancing across the metal.

Ren had one foot up on the first pane before his mind caught up with him. He threw half a glance over his shoulder. Akechi - Crow - hadn't moved. Some of the other Thieves were a blur of motion behind Ren, but Crow was standing stock still in place. Frigid. Emotionless. Numb.

Ren reached the railing, grabbing onto it as if it was the last vestige of stability in an unstable world. And he stared over the edge.

The ground two stories below had been cratered. A circle of crumpled metal roughly five feet in diameter. A splash of black dust across the entirety of that crater, the only remains of the Shadow that had caused them so much trouble.

And making her way out of that crater, wobbling slightly but still standing tall, was Queen. She glanced up at the railing, at her friends, and smiled. One hand up to her ear. "I think I might need a Safe Room stop," she said, her voice coming clear through the comms, and wobbling ever so slightly. "But you can save your stamina, Ann. No healing magic needed." And she raised a thumbs-up. "He broke my fall."

Oracle's unmistakable whistle. "All. Hail. The. Queen ."

"You are fucking insane!" Skull added, incredulity and delight equally clear in his tone. "Koto, I am loving you right now, holy shit."

Queen rolled her right shoulder. "Does love usually feel like pins and needles? Cause I think my right arm got a bit more love than the rest of me."

Panther burst into a high, delighted giggle, drawing Ren's gaze. She had the biggest, brightest grin on her face, like the sun was dawning in her cheeks. Without a single word, she turned and bolted down the descending corridor, heading down towards the lower area Queen was now alone on.

Ren ran a hand back through his hair. Words. Words, please. "I'm glad you're alright," he said, finally. "Scared the shit out of us there. But...good communication. Thank you."

"Darn tootin!" his sister chimed in. "And I gave her a defense boost on the way down. You're welcome!"

"Thank you," Queen laughed, her grin evident across the distance.

"That was a very fancy maneuver there as well, Oracle," Noir added, smiling up vaguely towards the ceiling. "Have you been practicing?"

"Aww, shucks," Oracle mumbled. Ren could imagine her kicking her feet bashfully in zero gravity. "I mean, yeah, you're all doing your best, and I don't want to be left behind."

A chuckle. "If the Phantom Thieves were ever to part with their Oracle," Crow said, striding past the group on a steady course down the corridor. "Then I doubt they would return from the Metaverse."

"Uh," Oracle said. A quiet rush of air, and the girl popped into existence next to the other Thieves. Ren stifled a yelp. "Thanks? But, also," she shoved her goggles up onto her forehead, sending a glare towards the boy's turned back, "go fuck yourself, Crow."

Crow merely waved his hand in the idle approximation of a bow, and kept on walking.


Skull was in front of Ren when they made it to the lower level, and he turned the corner onto the floor proper. And a second later, power-walked back into view, down the other side of the fork and towards Crow and Mona's Safe Room search efforts. Ren raised an eyebrow, and jogged a few steps, slipping around the corner himself. Oh. Yeah, that made sense.

Panther had her arms around Queen's neck, resting them on her shoulders. And Queen had one arm around Panther's back, the other tangling in her hair. And she was kissing her. Or, uh, they were kissing each other.

"Oh-" came Fox's voice from behind Ren, and another immediate retreat of footsteps. A chuckle danced up into Ren's throat.

Queen and Panther pulled a little apart. Conversation. A sentence or two, messily back and forth, interrupting each other. Laughter. Panther adjusted and tucked a strand of Queen's hair behind one ear. Queen's gaze momentarily shifted off to the side, maybe shyly, though she ended up looking right at Ren. He extended a thumbs-up, and then pointed first at himself and then towards the corridor, a silent sort of 'I'll leave you alone.'

Queen flipped him off.

Ren laughed, and ducked around the corner. Making out in the middle of an infiltration aside, he was happy for them. And a bit of privacy was well-earned after a stunt like that. He'd rib them both once they got back to reality. For now...they could take their time.


Big thanks as always to Jane, sweetheart supreme, light of my life and the best beta reader a butch could ask for. Also want to shoutout to Dave and Ralu, who have helped keep me sane during the insanity of the last few months. Every single week has felt longer and more monkey-wrench-y than the last, and if I didn't have them and Jane, I'd definitely have gone very far off the deep end.

Oh, and shoutout to Rabbit, author of the fantastic Shine On for brainstorming out some of future - spoilery - plans for our respective fics, and generally reigniting some of my confidence when it comes to DV. I tend to undervalue my own projects and how well they're doing, so it means a lot to hear how I've inspired others, even in small and silly ways.