A/N:So I in no way planned this, but happy Royal launch day! I don't plan on having it affect my plans here, but I hope you all enjoyit! We've got a big one here today, folks, so sit back and enjoy!
Chapter 21: The Curator of Vanity
Saturday, 5/21/20XX, After School, Shibuya Station
"Are you sure you're ready?" Jolyne's question rang out to Yusuke, who leaned against the rail of the walkway. The Phantom Thieves had gathered their after school, and were discussing their current plan of attack.
"I am. Seeing that place, that museum...there is no doubt left in my heart. If this is how we put an end to all the suffering Madarame has caused, then so be it." Yusuke started with resolve, Jolyne turned to Ryuji.
"Can you make the calling card again?" She asked, earning a wince from Ann.
"No offense, Ryuji, but the one you made looked like something a kindergartener would make." Ann stated.
"Or a serial killer."
"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad!" Ryuji defended, Yusuke frowned.
"I...am inclined to agree with Takamaki-san. I saw the calling card on the news, and thought it was….lacking."
"And don't get me started on the message. 'We know how shitty you are' might have worked on Kamoshida, but I don't think it's going to work on Madarame." Morgana commented, Ryuji finally sighed.
"Alright, alright. Sorry, it was my first time threatening somebody." He defended, Yusuke tapped his chin.
"Morgana, what needs to be in the calling card?" He questioned.
"Just telling him that we're coming after him won't do anything. We have to make him aware that his desires are something that we can steal." The cat stated, Yusuke closed his eyes as he thought, tapping his chin once more. "We need to make sure that he knows what we're talking about, and-"
"Very well. I shall handle the Calling Card." The artist bluntly stated, cutting off Morgana.
"Wait, seriously?" Ann asked, getting a nod from their newest member.
"You said that he needs to be aware that we are going to steal his desires. And in order for it to take effect, sen...Madarame has to take it seriously, correct?" Yusuke asked, earning a nod from Morgana. "Then I believe this task should fall to someone with personal experience on the target, something I am more than capable of doing." He explained, the others exchanged a glance.
"Are...you sure?" The platinum blonde question again. "I mean, I know you considered Madarame a father figure. I'm worried about the kind of toll that'll take on you." The blue haired painter scowled.
"Trust me, I am more than up to doing this. The teacher who guided me, the man I considered to be my father...if that Madarame ever truly existed, he was smothered by his own greed and vanity. That monster we saw in the Palace, who spoke so callously about the pupils under him...that is the true Madarame now. That is the man I will bring to his knees." Yusuke growled out, Jolyne stepped closer to him.
"You don't need to convince me anymore. The Calling Card is yours." Joker stated, earning a nod of confirmation from Yusuke. "Get to work. Let's finish this."
Monday, 5/23/20XX, Early Morning, Kame-Yu Department Store
Madarame couldn't help himself as he let out a yawn, as he was escorted through the store towards his exhibit. "Ooof, I'm getting too old for this…" The 'artist' groaned out as he rubbed the last vestiges of sleep from his eyes. Still, Madarame assumed it was necessary. Owning two houses didn't come cheap, and he needed the attention these exhibits brought. There were already a few interested parties asking after owning a work of his, specifically an American politician looking for an anniversary gift for his wife. Perhaps Senator Valentine would be interested in 'owning' the Sayuri? Maybe then Madarame could afford that nice summer house he'd been looking at in Sardinia…
"Is everything alright, Sensei?" Yusuke asked, rousing Madarame from his thoughts.
"Hm? Oh, I'm fine, Yusuke." The teacher replied to his student. "Just a little daydreaming, is all."
"...I see." Yusuke replied, causing Madarame to raise an eyebrow. Come to think of it, Madarame hadn't really addressed their confrontation in the shed, where Yusuke had discovered the forgeries.
"You...do know why I do it, right?" He asked. "It's all for you, for your future. The other pupils I had were talented, yes, but they lacked the backbone, the strength of will necessary to survive in the cutthroat world of art. But I look at you, and I see myself. I see the starving young artist who had to fight for every bit of attention he got, who oftentimes had to choose between food and paint supplies. I promised your mother that I would never let you go through the same ordeal." The artist explained, before he lightly smiled. "I...wanted to wait to tell you this until you had finished high school, but I put the money from every painting I sell into a fund for you, something for you to rely on until you can establish yourself in the art world." It was a lie, of course. After all, what would Yusuke even do with money? The boy's palette consisted primarily of bean sprouts and ramen, and the less said about his fashion sense the better. He had no grasp of the finer things in life. Perhaps Madarame could teach him a thing or two…
"I...thank you Sensei." The pupil averted his eyes, so Madarame couldn't see what he was thinking, but if he had to guess, he was feeling overwhelming gratitude. After all, with everything Madarame had given him, it was only natural. Madarame was about to say something else...when he noticed security guards gathered around the exhibit.
"What's the meaning of this?" He demanded as they approached, drawing the guards' attention.
"We found this on the exhibit. We just found it when we came in." The guard stated, and he handed Madarame what appeared to be a business card, which he examined. It was primarily red with black circles pulsating out of it, reminding him of something he had seen on the news some weeks ago. The letters were red and black, of varying cases.
To Sir Ichiryusai Madarame, a great sinner of vanity whose talent has been exhausted.
We know what you really are. While you pass yourself off as an artist without peer, in reality you are little more than a parasite who uses his authority to steal the works of his pupils.
We have decided to make you confess your crimes with your own mouth.
We will take your distorted desires without fail.
From, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.
"We were just about to contact the police, and close down the-" The Guard started to say, when Madarame spoke up.
"Were there any damages to the premises?" He asked, causing the guards to exchange a look.
"Uh, no sir. Best we can tell, someone picked the lock. We checked the security cameras, but the only sort of intruder was a stray cat."
"And the artwork?"
"Untouched."
"Then do not contact the police." Madarame stated, anger beginning to creep into his voice. "I have amassed no shortage of enemies wishing to see my downfall. This is simply another vain attempt to destroy my reputation. If so much as a word of this gets out to the press, I'll-"
"I...think it is too late for that, sensei." Yusuke spoke up, looking at his phone. "A friend from school just alerted me. Apparently, a message identical to this was just posted online." Only one part of that statement was true, and fortunately that was what Madarame needed to believe. Yusuke felt the temperature drop, and all the color and noise faded away until Yusuke saw the Shadow Madarame standing in front of him. The others had warned him that this would happen once Madarame had found the Calling Card, but it still surprised him.
"It's your fault, isn't it? You and the rest of those damned brats!" The Shadow hissed out, yellow eyes boring a hole in Yusuke. "It's useless. Once the exhibit is over, I'll crush you like the insignificant welps that you are!" The Shadow bellowed out, before everything returned to normal. Yusuke let out a breath that he didn't know he'd been holding. This drew the real Madarame's attention, and his panicked expression softened for a moment.
"Ah, I'd almost forgotten what time it was. Hurry on to school, and I'll handle this. The car should still be waiting outside." Madarame instructed, Yusuke nodded obediently.
"Of course. I shall...see you later." And with that, Yusuke headed back outside. As soon as he got in the car, he pulled out his phone, composing a text.
YK: He has seen the Calling Card.
RS: Sweet! Yours looks way cooler than the one I came up with!
AT: And it doesn't look like a grade schooler made it!
RS: Pardon me for not being an actual artist…
JC: As long as he got the message.
JC: Did you see the Shadow?
YK: Yes.
JC: Then the Treasure's appeared, and we have 24 hours left.
JC: Don't even go to the hideout. We'll go straight to the shack.
JC: Prepare yourselves, because after school…
JC: We take his heart.
After School, Madarame's Palace
"I think I saw something move! Look over there!" A Shadow guard bellowed out, as another guard checked beneath a statue.
"I don't see anything…"
"Then look harder! They've gotta be here somewhere!" The lead guard ordered as they checked the room. Unbeknownst to them, there was movement up in the rafters above them, as the Phantom Thieves made their way through their infiltration route. It was going off without a hitch, as they followed the infiltration route Morgana had memorized. It was almost effortless, passing through the interconnected paintings with no trouble and ending up in the treasure room. They stopped in front of the alcove containing the treasure, remembering the iron bars that had materialized last time.
"Everyone remember their part?"
"Sure thing. Just leave it to me and Skull!" Panther stated, earning a nod from Joker.
"Fox?"
"You can count on me."
"Alright, everyone. We've got one shot at this. We don't have time for a big speech, so let's just get down to it. We know what's at stake, so let's get to it."
While Yusuke worked on the calling card, the others hadn't been sitting around on their asses. Jolyne and Morgana had gone over every detail, every corner of the room. There was only one direct way into the Treasure Room, but fortunately, the Phantom Thieves didn't need to be direct.
"It's show time!"
Skull and Panther both ventured out into the nearby hallway, where Skull spotted a security camera.
"You sure this will work?" Panther asked, her friend simply shrugged.
"Only one way to find out." With that, he focused , causing Outkast to appear in front of him. In the days since his Stand had first manifested, Ryuji had found out that while Outkast was strong and durable, it didn't have an incredibly far range, only about a meter and a half. However, by standing on Panther's shoulders, Ryuji was more than capable of having Outkast make it's hand intangible enough to pass through the wall and grab the wires of the camera, electricity coursing through it and causing a power surge at all cameras on the system. This had the intended effect of causing the cameras in the security office to fritz out, giving them the blindspot they needed.
With that taken care of, Mona leapt on to Joker's back, and Fox watched from his lookout position as Jolyne's arm was covered with that of Stone Free. The arm unraveled and moved up to the rafter, convalescing back into a hand and grabbing it. Joker pulled herself and Mona up as her arm reraveled, and the two navigated until they were just above the Treasure. "Can you see what it is?" Joker asked, Morgana shook his large head.
"No, it's covered in some sort of tarp. It almost looks familiar though…" Mona commented, before he braced himself. "I'm ready." Joker grabbed part of the rafter for support, before her arm unravelled once more to lower Morgana. The cat-like being was relatively light, and whatever was under that tarp, it was relatively light, so Jolyne didn't have to exert a whole lot of force to pull Morgana up. Mona and Joker quickly scurried back down the rafter, landing on the floor next to Fox, who had been rejoined by Skull and Panther.
"Way to go, Mona!" Panther cheered, Mona couldn't help but blush.
"Aw shucks, it was nothing, Lady Ann!"
"Shucks…?" Joker muttered to herself, as Skull examined the purple parcel on their mascot's back.
"So what is it? It's gotta be a painting or something, considerin' where we are! Fox, you got any ideas?"
"I'm afraid not. Knowing Sensei, it could be anything…"
"Talk about this later! We need to get out of here before the Shadows find us!" Joker cut off, hoisting the painting on her back. Stone Free manifested behind her and unraveled itself into strings, wrapping around Jolyne and binding the painting to her back.
"Whoa, since when can your Stand do that?!" Skull asked, Jolyne grunting as she grabbed hold of the straps.
"Told you...I've been practicing with what Stone Free can do. Works for carrying things in a pinch." She grunted out, and Panther cast a look towards the door.
"I think I hear something in the main exhibit!"
"They're coming!"
"THen...hng...let's get moving!" Their leader instructed, and just like that, the Phantom Thieves were on the move once again. They moved through the rafters, narrowly avoiding being spotted by Shadow guards as they made their way into the interconnected paintings. After emerging e from that room of pure golden light, they were back in the painting room. After Panther scouted ahead to make sure the coast was clear, they moved through the sculpture room, before descending through the rest of the levels to arrive at the bridge that joined the two golden buildings together. Skull and Panther looked around, searching for enemies.
"Alright, we lost 'em!"
"All according to plan so far." Joker stated, wincing as she carried the painting on her back.
"Is the painting that heavy?" Panther asked, worried in her voice, only for Joker to shake her head.
"Well, a little, but it's more...uncomfortable than anything else." The leader grunted out as she readjusted the painting on her back, none of them noticing Morgana starting to squirm.
"Mrrrr…."
"Want me to carry it?"
"No, I'm fine. Just need another minute, and-"
"Mrrrrowwww I can't take it anymore!" Mona yowled out, startling all of them as he leapt onto Joker's shoulder.
"Jesus, Mona!"
"I have to see it! I have to see the Treasure!" He yowled out, the others watching with a mix of horror and confusion.
"What...is this?" Yusuke asked, Ryuji scratched the back of his head.
"Sheesh, it's just like Kamoshida's palace…"
"Mona went nuts back then, too. It's gotta be something about the treasure…" Ann mused, as a vein bulged in Jolyne's forehead.
"Get the hell off, you creepy cat!" She scolded, shaking Mona off of her shoulder.
"Hrrnnn I can't take it anymore! I have to see the treasure!" The mascot excitedly exclaimed, Skull sighed as he looked around.
"I don't think they're following us anymore…" He observed, causing the Stand-using leader to let out a groan.
"Good freakin' grief, fine! Look at the damn thing, if that'll make you happy!" She snapped, dispelling her strings and setting the painting on the ground. Mona happily purred as he trotted over to it, pulling the purple tarp aside. However, as soon as he saw the contents, his face fell.
"What…?" Instead of the grandiose painting they were all expecting, the 'art' they were looking at was a doodle of a face sticking its tongue out, something which furrowed Skull's brow.
"This is seriously this dude's Treasure?" He asked, Joker's eyes widened as she heard whirring behind them.
"Everyone get back!" The Phantom Thieves were barely able to jump backwards before the pylons powered on, the electrical field just narrowly missing the quintet.
"Talk about a close one…" Panther muttered out, Fox frowned.
"That means…."
"Tch, I knew we had a vermin infestation!" A familiar, distorted voice mocked, and they all spun around to see Shadow Madarame emerging from the museum, flanked by his guards. Panther took note of how one guard had a gold frame tucked under its arm. "Did you meddlesome rats really think I was so stupid as to leave my most prized possession where anyone could steal it? Do you take me for some rank amateur?!"
"He used a mousetrap on us? How ironic…" Morgana remarked.
"So you had a fake prepped? Geez, if that's how your art looks, no wonder you have to steal from others!" Skull taunted, the Shadow just clicked his tongue.
"You still don't get it? Counterfeits are accepted in the world of art, in Japan and beyond! Do you think any of those philistines care enough to think about whether or not it's the real thing? Of course not! They just want to look at a pretty picture and feel smarter than they are!" He boasted, Fox scowled.
"What happened to you to make you like this? Was it your fame, or simply your own greed?" Joker noticed that their newest member was shaking, his voice slightly cracking. "Can you not imagine how much it pains me to inquire about the crimes of my foster father, the man who raised me?!" He demanded, but the Shadow simply looked at him with pity.
"Oh you poor, naive fool. You still think I took you in out of the kindness of my heart? Please! I only took you in because of my ties with your mother!" This visibly threw Yusuke, as he stepped back in shock.
"My...mother?" He muttered, as Madarame continued to speak.
"That woman never lost her passion for painting, even after her husband died! Her skills and talents were quite something, which is why I decided to take her under my wing! My first, and greatest pupil!"
"...pupil?" Yusuke felt his heart drop, his stomach beginning to churn as Joker frowned.
"Don't tell me…" At this, Madarame simply laughed.
"I see you're finally putting it together! The works of art she created were the stepping stones that I would use to propel myself to the top, creating the very foundation that enables you!" The Palace Ruler boasted, and the newest Phantom Thief simply grit his teeth.
"Impossible! My mother would never have allowed this!"
"Oh, how right you are! You see, as brilliant a painter as she was, she could never see the big picture!" The Shadow stated. "She refused to sell her artwork, no matter how many offers I brought her! That woman cared nothing for the finer things in life, preferring to linger in obscurity and focus on raising you! Honestly, what she was thinking, I'll never know!"
"I'm getting real tired of hearing this guy talk…" Panther commented, Skull nodding in agreement as he cracked his knuckles. Madarame just snorted, looking down his nose at him.
"So impatient. Very well. You've made it this far, so I suppose I can allow you to glimpse true beauty one last time before you die!" With that, he snapped his fingers, and the guard stepped forward. He held up the frame, causing all of their eyes to widen as they saw what it was.
"No way…"
"It can't be!"
"That's-"
"Sayuri…" Yusuke gasped out, gazing at the painting he had looked at a hundred times. There it was, in all it's beauty. The white background, the red dress, the pale, dark skinned woman and her captivating smile. However, the key difference between this painting, and the one Madarame had spent years duplicating, was the baby the woman was clutching in her arms, that she was looking at with the fondness and love that only a mother could have.
Tears welled up in Yusuke's eyes, his fists clenching. "Mom…!" At this, Skull's eyes widened.
"Wait, for real?" The blonde blurted out, and Madarame just smirked.
"A woman, fully aware of her impending death, poured her heart and soul into one final self portrait, an expression of the unyielding love she felt for the child she would leave behind! That is the truth behind Sayuri's expression!" The charlatan explained, and Mona growled.
"Stealing something that personal...what kind of monster are you?!" At this, Panther noticed that Joker's fists were clenched, and she was starting to shake as Madarame simply scoffed.
"The first time I saw this painting, I burst into tears! I knew that this painting would be discussed around the world for years to come, being hailed alongside the greats! I simply couldn't allow it to hang in some bedroom, a gift to some snot nosed brat who couldn't appreciate it's beauty!"
"The baby in the picture...why did you paint over it?" The group's artist asked, and Madrame folded his arms.
"Why, to stage it, of course! As it was, the painting would already secure it's place in history, but to add a dramatic element, create a mystery around it's smile...why, that would cement it's place as one of the greats! And those idiots ate it up! My career was reinvigorated overnight, and not just in the Japanse art community! The United States, England, China, Russia...I had offers coming in from all over the world! I went from obscurity to the buzz of the art world!" Boasted the Ruler, a smirk crossing the pale makeup he wore. "No longer would-"
"What happened to her?" Joker's voice cut through Madarame's boasting, drawing his attention.
"What?"
"You said Yusuke's mother knew her death was coming, and we've seen what you do to students you're done with. So how the hell did it end up in your grimy little hands?" The Leader asked, her eyes obfuscated by her mask. Fox's eyes widened at this question, and even Madarame's smirk faulted for a second, before he resumed speaking.
"The woman suffered from epilepsy, something she had lived with even before I knew her. She maintained medication, but even with that, she was prone to seizures. I always thought it was a tradeoff of some kind for her art skills. Even with the medication, she knew her time would come." The artist explained, his smirk turning into a sinister grin that unnerved all of them. "On the day she showed me the Sayuri, she just so happened to have a seizure in front of me. I ran to get the phone, preparing to dial emergency services...when a thought crossed my mind. Why save her life and let the Sayuri vanish into obscurity, when I could make sure it got the attention it deserved?"
"No…"
"You mean...you let her die?!" A horrified Panther asked, as Joker grit her teeth.
"Come now, Yusuke, don't tell me you thought it was odd that I discovered your talents at the age of three? You could barely use a coloring book! The reason I kept you around was to make sure you didn't discover the truth on your own! The fact that you inherited her artistic talents was what a famous American painter liked to call a 'happy accident.'"
"You monster! You let my mother die!"
"It was only a matter of time! I simply waited longer than I should have to call the paramedics! At least then there was someone to take you in, and make sure her works got the attention they deserved!" The Shadow justified, looking down his nose at them. "If not for me, then-"
"Shut the hell up!" Joker's declaration stunned Madarame, her chartreuse eyes burning with rage. "Yusuke's mom knew her time was running out, so she poured her heart and soul into that painting! You...you just took that away from him, not caring about anyone but yourself! I was already going to kick your ass, but now...now I'm going to shove that ugly ponytail down your throat!"
"Joker…" Panther frowned to herself…
"Heh…" When an unusual sound left Yusuke's mouth, pulling Joker from her rage filled glare. "Heheheheheh...hahahahaha!" The young artist belted out, drawing confused looks from all of them.
"Uh...you ok, Fox?" Skull asked, the newest member just smirked.
"Of course! For you see, I no longer see a reason to forgive him!" Fox declared, looking directly at Madarame. "I see you for what you truly are now! You are not simply a rotten artist who lost his way...no, you are a despicable fiend, who wears the skin of an artist!" He stated, earning a scowl from the shadow of his mentor.
"You ungrateful brat! All I gave you, and you talk to me like this?! I'll just have to show you how the world really works!" As Madarame spoke, the floor around him began to bubble up, and Mona's eyes widened.
"It's happening again! Just like in Kamoshida's palace!" He warned, and Joker narrowed her eyes as her dagger manifested.
"Everyone get ready!" She warned, as Madarame continued to speak.
"Those with the connections make the rules! Those who don't must follow them! As the ine with the connections, I make the rules! I am the supreme being! I am the god of the art world!" As Madarame spoke, the Phantom Thieves watched as his figure began to warp. His head began to grow in size, warping and changing until it was consumed in an explosion of red and black. As the cloud subsided, Panther couldn't help but drop her jaw at the sigh.
"What the hell…"
( watch?v=GdYkIF3C7PY)
Madarame was no longer the shogun he viewed himself as. What was once a gaudy shogun had mutated and warped into four floating picture frames, with two representing his eyes, one his nose, and one his mouth.
"I will paint over all who get in my way, starting with you brats!" Ichiryusai Azazel Madarame bellowed, and Joker just looked at Yusuke.
"You ready?"
"Of course. Let's put an end to this!" Fox declared, Joker smirked.
"That's what I like to hear." And with that, her face turned serious, as they all pulled their weapons. "Take him down!"
"You heard her, Carmen!" Panther's mask vanished in an explosion of blue flame, as the dress wearing Persona appeared behind her. She aimed the two heart-headed men at Azazel, firing two fireballs at each. The flames impacted, but much to Panther's surprise, the eyes seemed to absorb the flames. "What…?"
"Arsene!" The black winged Persona appeared in front of Joker, bringing her hands together. Red energy began to pool into Arsene's hands, before launching the curse attack right at the Ruler. Azazel's nose darted forward, meeting the curse head on and absorbing it. "It's absorbing our attacks!"
"I'd like to see it absorb this!" Skull stated, running forward with all the speed one would expect from a former track star. A yellow aura surrounded him, and yellow eyes blazed awake in front of him as Outkast manifested. "Outkast…"As Ryuji neared the mouth, Outkast slammed it's fists together, creating a spark and low whine. Skull cocked both of his Stand's arms back, before slamming them into the mouth. "...Explosion!" Skull felt the impact behind Outkast go away as it made contact with the mouth, but he was satisfied with the roar of pain Azazel made as the electricity coursed through him, something that Joker took note of. Skull jumped back just in time to dodge a jab from the tongue, landing next to Joker. "Damn, that barely did anything…"
"Not quite." Joker countered. "Your punch itself didn't do much, but the electricity didn't seem to hurt the mouth. I have a theory that I want to test out. Fox, aim for the eyes! Mona, the mouth!"
"Right!" Fox obeyed, his kabuki mask vanishing as Goemon appeared behind him. "Goemon, strike!"
"Zoro!" Mona's mustached Persona appeared behind him, twirling his sword as Goemon swung his pipe. Ice shards launched towards the eyes, while a gust of wind targeted the mouth. As Joker predicted, the ice shards were absorbed by the eye, but the razor sharp winds seemed to damage the mouth.
"You see it too?" Panther asked, and Joker nodded.
"Everyone! Different pieces absorb different kinds of attacks!" She called out, looking at the eyes. "Don't target the eyes with element attacks!"
"Sounds easy enough!" Skull responded, his mask disappearing . "Let 'em have it, Captain Kidd!" His boat riding Persona aimed it's arm cannon at the Shadow, a bolt of lightning hitting the mouth. Fox moved in next, drawing his sword and leaping up to slash one of the eyes. Panther, Joker, and Mona provided covering fire with their guns (or a slingshot in Mona's case).
Azazel roared in pain as the attacks hit him, the paintings making up his 'body' spinning wildly. "Damn you, you insufferable vermin! You'll pay for that!" The Palace Ruler bellowed out, his eyes fixating on the Phantom Thieves. The grey eyes turned red, and they all jumped back as flames consumed the spot where they had been standing a moment ago. However, before they could prepare a counter, the nose twitched. "A-choo!" The sneeze generated a massive gust of wind, one that knocked back all the thieves except for Joker, who had managed to dig her knife into the ground.
"Damn, that's nasty…" She grunted out, looking up in time to see the mouth spit out a glob of black...something. "What the...Stone Free!" The Stand manifested in front of her, delivering a spinning kick to meet the glob.
"Ora!" The kick connected, dispersing the black glob. However, Stone Free was now covered in a black, ink-like substance, and Jolyne winced as she felt her knees wobble.
Whatever that black stuff was, it was sapping her strength, leaving her open for another sneeze to knock her back through the peacock panels that had flanked the walkway. "Ow…"
"Take cover!" Mona ordered as Azazel began spitting several globs of the black ink at the Phantom Thieves. Skull and Mona took cover behind one piece of shrubbery, while Fox and Panther took cover behind another.
"And I thought Kamoshida's tongue was gross…" Panther commented, as Joker began to sit up. She rubbed her head, wincing at the pain, before she noticed something at her feet: a collection of paint cans, overflowing with black ink. The laws of the Metaverse flashed through her head, converging together to form an idea. Yusuke just so happened to look in her direction, seeing the paint cans at her feet. The two made eye contact, nodding as they came to the same conclusion.
Stone Free manifested in front of Joker, grabbing two of the boards. Without another word, the Joestar ran forward, dashing past her covering teammates. Azazel noticed her running towards him, and began spitting globs of black paint at her.
Stone Free slammed both boards together in front of her, the peacock designs taking the hit from the black paint. Once the boards had taken all they could, Jolyne tossed them aside, her mask vanishing as the nose twitched once more.
"Makami!" A small, white dragon with a winding body manifested in front of her just in time, the Persona's characteristics reducing the effect the wind had on her. She leapt forward, the dragon's moth opening the snap at Azazel's nose.
"Ow!" Madarame howled out, and that was the cue for the others. Fox went in one direction, Skull and Mona using their shot gun and slingshot to fire on the eyes, while Carmen manifested to blast the mouth with dual fireballs. "Feh! You think this is enough to stop me?! You're going to have to do a lot more than that!" At this provocation, Joker couldn't help but smirk.
"Oh, we've got that covered. Now, Fox! Paint it black!" She declared, and Azazel's eyes went to Fox, who was running towards him with a paint brush and bucket in his hand.
"Madarame! This is for all the futures you've ruined!" Fox declared, using the brush and the paintcan, covered Azazel in the black paint.
"Now!" Joker ordered as their masks all vanished, their Persona's all manifesting behind them. Curse energy, flames, razor sharp wind, lightning bolts, and shards of ice rained down on the painting monster, causing him to roar in pain. The paintings dropped to the ground, weakly trying to rise again...before they began dissolving into red and black ichor.
"No! I can't end like this! My star will shine over the art world!" Azazel whimpered out, dissolving back into that of Madarame's Shadow, clutching on to the painting like his life depended on it. "It can't end like this! All my sacrifices, all my hard work…" He whimpered out, earning a disgusted scowl from Panther.
"Hard work? You mean stealing other people's hard work!" She retorted, he spun around, glaring at her with yellow eyes.
"You think that was easy?! You think that just anyone could have done this?! I spent years cultivating relationships, making nice with critics, finding the best pupils, building my reputation from scratch! I had to claw my way up from nothing, using whatever stepping stones I could find!"
"So that's it…" Fox spoke up, stepping forward. Now, it was his turn to look down at Madarame, eyes burning with resentment from behind his kabuki-like mask. "Connections, stepping stones, suppliers...you don't view them as people. You think of them simply as resources, things to be exploited for your own gain."
"You think I have a choice in any of that?! The art world is cruel, unforgiving. The masses don't want true art! They want a name, an easily recognizable brand they can latch on to! I'm as much a victim as anyone else!" At this, Yusuke's face twisted into a sneer, his hand went to his sword. Skull went to stop him, but Joker just shook her head.
"A fiend like you has no right to speak about the world of art!" Madarame shrieked as Yusuke slashed his sword, only to open his eyes and find he was unharmed. Yusuke slowly sheathed his katana, and once it was fully sheathed, Madarame's topknot fell to the ground. "You're done for, along with this putrid world!" He declared, turning his back to his former mentor. "Return to your true self and confess your crimes. Leave nothing out!" Yusuke ordered, Madarame just blinked in confusion.
"You're...not going to kill me?"
"Why would we do that?" Panther asked. "We kill you, and that's the end of it. You're not punished, and your victims, the ones you used up until they had nothing left to give, don't get closure."
"This way, you can at least try to make up for the shitty things you did." Skull finished, Joker stepped forward.
"This isn't absolution or redemption. You hurt people, some in ways that'll never be fixed, and it's reached the point where we had to make you realize this. What you do after, how you go forward...that'll be up to you." She explained, tucking her hands into her pockets. "Not everyone gets this chance, so use it wisely."
"I...I understand." Madarame stated, only to frown. "But...what about the one in the black mask?" At this, everyone's brow furrowed, and they exchanged looks.
"Black masks? The hell is he talking about?" Skull asked, Mona frowned.
"Could he mean...someone beside us using the Metaverse?" Before anyone could even consider Mona's question, the whole Museum began to shake, alarming all of them.
"We don't have time for this! We gotta move!" Joker instructed, and turned to Mona. "Mona!"
"I'm on it! Morgana Special Transformation!" Morgana leapt into the air, transforming into his car form in a puff of smoke. He landed on the ground, his back door opening. "Get in!"
"Right!" And with that, the Phantom Thieves loaded into the cat van, Joker hopping into the driver's seat. Yusuke grabbed the Sayuri, preparing to hop in the van...when Madarame grabbed his leg. Yusuke looked behind him to see Madarame looking up at him, tears filling his yellow eyes.
"Please Yusuke...what should I do?" He tearfully asked, Yusuke looked down at his teacher. The man who had raised him like a son, who had guided and nurtured his artistic talents. Who had planned to use him as nothing but a machine to make money. Who had bought him his first paintbrush. Who had let his mother die so he could butcher her work and pass it off as his own.
Clenching the frame of the Sayuri, he looked away. "Put an end to this, and use your own paintings for once." And with that, Yusuke ran from Madarame, the van pulling away and leaving him in the crumbling palace.
Kame-Yu Department Store
"This painting seems to capture rage, like something's being bottled up." A gallery viewer noted, examining the painting Yusuke had made. The viewer turned to Madarame. "How did you come up with something so expressive?" He asked, earning a humble smile from Madarame.
"I must admit, it wasn't easy. I had to return to a dark place, to when I was a starving artist waiting for the world to see my talents. I had to-" And that's when it hit him. It was like a gut punch to the heart, his chest tightening into a vice. "Had to…"
"Madarame-san?" Thoughts flooded his mind, memories he hadn't dwelled on in years. Yusuke's mother, her mouth foaming as the seizure destroyed her body. Yusuke, submitting the very piece of work he was talking about. Nakanohara, Sugita, Seijima...all the pupils he had used, all the works of art he had taken bore down on his mind. He collapsed to his knees, bending over as tears fell down his face. What...what had he done?
Shibuya
"Here you, guys." Jolyne stated, holding out two canned drinks. One was a canned coffee, the other was sparkling water. Ryuji took the coffee, while Ann took the water. Yusuke, meanwhile, was leaning against the rail, examining the painting as Ryuji took a sip of his drink.
"Ugh, why'd you get it black?"
"It was the only thing they had."
"Bet you got Ann's right…" Ryuji muttered under his breath, sighing as he sat against the rail. "Well, I think we can write all that down as a win for us."
"We don't know that for sure yet. Remember how long we had to wait for Kamoshida to go through?" Ann asked, Ryuji sighed.
"Well there's no reason to think it didn't!" He retorted, beginning to count on his fingers. "We found the treasure, we sent the Calling Card, he saw it, we got the treasure, we fought the Shadow, and the Palace collapsed. Everything that happened with Kamoshida, happened here." He listed, turning to Morgana, whose head was sticking out of Jolyne's bag. "Right?"
"As much as I hate to admit it, Ryuji's got it right. We should see results in the next few days." The cat stated, Jolyne looked at Yusuke.
"You ok?"
"I am. After all these years, I'm truly free." The artist answered, looking at the painting of the Sayuri in his hands. "So, this was the source of his distorted desires?"
"That's right. The Palace always forms around the object that inspired the desires in the first place. For Kamoshida, it was his Olympic medal." Morgana explained.
"And this isn't the real one, correct? Merely a duplicate?"
"Technically speaking, it's a fake. However, the object you're holding in your hand is exactly how Madarame remembered it. It's not something he would have gotten wrong." Their mascot explained, Yusuke's eyes seemed to soften.
"That makes sense. The Shadow described my mother as his first pupil, meaning her art served as the impetus for this sad obsession. Madarame destroyed the original when he erased the baby from the painting. Meaning that, for all intents and purposes, this is the last remnant of my mother's work." He analyzed.
"Is this the part where you get all teary eyed and say stuff like 'mom…!'?" Ryuji sarcastically asked, earning a soft kick from Jolyne. "Ow!" However, before Jolyne could scold him, Yusuke just chuckled.
"No, nothing quite so dramatic as that. For years, the only memories I had of my mother were pictures Madarame had kept. However, I never felt a connection to them like I did to the Sayuri."
"You didn't piece it together? I thought Madarame said it was a self portrait." Ann asked, the blue haired painter shook his head.
"It may have been viewed that way, but from the pictures I have seen, there is actually very little resemblance between my mother and 'Sayuri.' For starters, her name was Izumi, not Sayuri, and her hair was much like mine, rather than brown. However, the feelings she wished to convey, the hopes and she poured into this painting…I always felt them, even if I was never able to explain why."
"So it worked. Your mom always hoped that you would be able to feel what she put into that painting." Jolyne answered. "When we found the forgeries in the shack, you knew right away that you were looking at the real deal. You said it yourself that you'd have been able to find the genuine article, even when Madarame tried explaining it away. And even before then, you knew there was something special about the Sayuri."
"I suppose you're right. Looking at it now...I know what I must do. I must inherit my mother's dreams. To continue improving myself not just as an artist, but as a painter as well."
"That's all you can do, really. Find a path through the darkness, and move on the best you can." Ann spoke up. "That's what me and Ryuji had to do after everything we went through with Kamoshida. Thanks to Jolyne, we were able to find what that was." She explained, causing Jolyne to rub the back of her neck sheepishly.
"I didn't really do anything. You guys did all that on your own…" However, as Jolyne made an attempt at humility, Yusuke frowned as he thought on their words.
"A path of my own…" He muttered to himself. "Tell me, what will you do now?" He asked, causing them to exchange a glance.
"Well, we're going to wait for the change of heart to go through on Madarame, and then we'll look for our next target." Jolyne explained, and Yusuke's lips thinned as he thought for a second.
"Why do you do such things?" He asked. "I've familiarized myself with the Kamoshida incident, but I've been unable to figure out why you didn't stop there."
"Well, that's easy. It's 'cause Kamoshida isn't the only piece of shit out there who thinks the world belongs to him!" Ryuji declared, earning a sigh from Ann.
"What Ryuji's trying to say is that we've all been victimized by people who thought the world revolved around them. People who have done whatever they wanted, who don't care about the people that they hurt." The model explained.
"Right! And we wanna help the people they hurt by givin' 'em courage!" The former trackstar finished, Yusuke's brow furrowed.
"Courage? As in...the courage to stand up for one's self? To rebel against the one oppressing them?"
"Well, yeah." Jolyne agreed. "We don't know if that'll make things better for those people, but we won't know until we try, right?"
"I see. So you just have to try…" Yusuke said to himself, looking at Jolyne. "I'd say you have succeeded. Had we not met when we did, I would have remained under Madarame's thumb, being squeezed for every last drop of talent I had. Had you not given me the courage…" He trailed off, looking out towards Shibuya. "How many more are out there? Being used, abused, exploited, by fiends even worse than Madarame…" He said to himself, clutching the rails in determination. He knew his path, the evening sun light framing him as he turned back to the Phantom Thieves. "I have made up my mind. If you'll have me, I wish to join the Phantom Thieves." He declared, the other four all exchanged a look, a smirk flashing across Jolyne's face.
"Well, we never do anything without a unanimous decision. Let's take a vote." Three hands and a paw all went up, and Fox couldn't help but smile. "It's official. Welcome to the Phantom Thieves, Yusuke." Joker congratulated, extending her hand. Fox smiled, reaching out to take it.
"Thank you. Though I trust you won't involve me in any plans lacking beauty."
Evening, Yongen Jaya
"What a day…" Jolyne sighed out as she laid back on her bed, her head hitting the pillow. "At least I didn't almost die this time…"
"That's because you're finally starting to learn." Morgana piped up as he hopped onto the bed next to her, looking quite pleased with himself. "Under my tutelage, you're becoming quite the stylish thief." He boasted, earning a chortle from Jolyne.
"Sure, let's call it that. Of course, I've gotten pretty good at navigating life and death situations in the past month." She replied.
"And who gave you the skills needed to navigate the Palace? Thanks to the lessons I imparted to you, not only did you topple our second big target, but we also acquired a new member! At this rate, our name will be known around the world in no time!"
"I'll settle for knowing for a few weeks of quiet while we look for our next target." The leader retorted, letting out a yawn. "Man, I'm beat…"
"They say that's the true sign of hard work!" Morgana cheered, as Jolyne raised an eyebrow.
"'They?' Only four people in the world can understand you, so I don't know where you heard that…" she lazily mumbled out, causing Morgana to deflate a bit.
"I…don't know how I know that saying. I think…someone said that to me when I was a human." Jolyne's eyes snapped open, mentally kicking herself. With all the excitement since Kamoshida, she had almost forgotten about Morgana's missing memories.
"You still don't remember anything?" She asked, the feline shaking his head.
"Nothing. And everything I do know feels like…instinct, or intuition. Not specific memories I'm drawing on." He explained, sighing. "I have no idea what kind of person I was, what my life was like…I could have even been a person like Madarame or Kamoshida."
"Hey, don't say that." Jolyne responded as she sat up, looking down at Morgana. "Would a person like them risk his own neck to save two punks he just met? You said it yourself, you're the reason we've made it as far as we have. Ask me, I think you're a pretty good ok person. Someone like Josuke's, who helps whoever they can, however they can."
"That leads me to another theory I had." He started, his face frowning as best it could. "Do you think…a Stand did this to me?"
"That's…a good question. Josuke said that Stands can do just about anything, so I guess it's possible…" At this, his ears perked up.
"Then…if it's a Stand that did this to me, then the User has to still be out there!" Jolyne has to admit, it was a tantalizing theory. After all, the stands they had encountered so far all varied wildly in their abilities, from Stone Free's strings to Toy Story's ability to press souls into dolls.
"Alright, we'll look into that. I'll check with the Foundation after all this Madarame stuff blows over, see if they know of a Stand that can turn a human into a cat." At this, Morgana 'smiled'. At least, as much as a cat can.
"Thank you so much, Jolyne! I'm not expecting much, but if we do find the answer…maybe then I can become the kind of person Lady Ann would be interested in…" he said that last part quietly, but not quiet enough that Jolyne didn't hear, causing her to avert her eyes.
The type of person Ann was interested in…she would have to figure that out for herself. Even if that meant Jolyne had to move on…
Time passed. The Phantom Thieves went about their daily lives. According to Yusuke, around the time they had defeated the Shadow, the real Madarame had suffered some sort of panic attack. After spending the night in the hospital, Madarame had returned home, not saying a word to Yusuke. For four days after that, he returned to the exhibit. However, attendees noted that, compared to his exuberant behavior beforehand, he was almost robotic, barely saying a word to anyone. This behavior continued, until…
Saturday, 5/27/20XX, Early Morning
Madarame fought back tears, lights flashing as shutters closed. "I…I have committed crimes unbecoming of an artist. I…I have plagiarized my work." As soon as the confession left his mouth, murmurs travelled through the crowd.
"Plagiarism?"
"An artist as famous as Madarame admitting this…this is huge!" The reporters mumbled among themselves, as Madarame continued.
"Every piece of art I have published for the last 15 years has not been my work, but rather that of others submitted under my name." Madarame explained, tears beginning to well up. "Even…even the Sayuri, my most famous work, is the result of plagiarism! For years, I have taken promising young artists under my wing, with the promise of elevating them in the art world, only to take their works and claim them as my own! If any dared to speak against me, I would use my reputation to crush them, destroying their opportunities in the world of art!" Madarame began to shake, tears beginning to stream down his wrinkled face. "I…I crushed so many futures, ruined so many lives." I have forever tainted this country's art world!" Now a sobbing mess, the 'artist' bowed his head, his forehead slamming on to the table and shaking the table. "Please…please forgive me!"
Afternoon
"This is the news. Earlier today, world renowned Japanese Painter Ichiryusai Madarame held a press conference, where he confessed to multiple counts of plagiarism. The 71-year old, renowned around the world for his varying style, admitted to stealing works from his pupils, submitting them under his own name. The painter first garnered international acclaim with the 'Sayuri', which was stolen by thieves in 2007. However, in light of Madarame's confession, this was put under renewed scrutiny, and authorities announced that they would be pursuing an investigation of fraud into the artist. This announcement comes in the middle of an exhibit Madarame was hosted at the Ginza branch of the Kame Yu chain of department stores. Sources confirmed that, five days prior to his press conference, Madarame received a note from the Phantom Thieves, displaying knowledge of the plagiarism, as well as posting a message online. One month ago, a similar message was posted, accusing Shujin Academy teacher and former Olympic athlete Suguru Kamoshida of sexual harassment. When asked about a connection between the two incidents, authorities declined to comment. We will keep you updated."
Afternoon
Nakanohara had been watching the news conference, letting out a smile. Finally…it was over.
Elsewhere in Shibuya, the long haired boy from Leblanc had been going home from school, when he heard the report on the news conference. He watched the report, frowning. "The Phantom Thieves…this just got much more interesting."
Shujin
"The Phantom Thieves…" Makoto muttered to herself, watching the news report on her phone in the library. Her mind went into overdrive, thinking of what she has observed so far. Jolyne Cujoh, the transfer student of rumor, was connected to the Phantom Thieves. Even ignoring the rumors surrounding her, everything with Kamoshida had happened just weeks after she had arrived at Shujin. Not to mention that she had been seen associating with Sakamoto and Takamaki, two students who'd been at the center of Kamoshida's actions.
And then there was what she had witnessed in Shibuya. That strange…was it a fight? Did it count as a fight if no physical punches were thrown? Did Jolyne possess telekinesis? The student council president had begun investigating bizarre phenomenon, but so far hasn't turn anything up. She would keep looking, and find the answers she'd been looking for.
Kanda
"Madarame…why does that name sound familiar?" A girl in a Kosei uniform, with long dark hair and a red hair accessory, wondered aloud as she tapped her chin, watching the news in a small office in the back of the church. "What do you think, Father?" She asked, as the room's other occupant set a Shiho board on the desk.
"I think there is no shortage of opportunists in this world, who have allowed their souls to be consumed by a drive to have more than they do. You will find no shortage of people like that, Hifumi." The man stated, not noticing how this made Hifumi grimace as his own eyes glanced at the screens.
'The Phantom Thieves…what is their end goal? All shall be revealed in time…' The Priest thought you himself, before putting in a smile. "Now, enough of that. Let's play, shall we?"
Shinjuku, Evening
In a bar in the red light district, the door swung open as the purple shirt and wide brim hat of Gyro Zeppeli entered the bar, earning the attention of the bartender. "Well well, look what the cat dragged in. Spend all your money on the maid cafes already?"
"Why would I waste my money there, when I can enjoy your radiant beauty, Lana-chan?" Gyro replied, taking a seat at the bar.
"Oh, what a charmer. I don't know why you're still single, Tama-kun." Lala-Chan replied. "Maybe it has something to do with those nasty teeth of yours?"
"All part of my charm, signora." Gyro responded, casting an eye over at the news on the television. "What's all that?"
"Oh, you haven't heard? It's been the talk of the town."
"It's been a busy few days, Lala-Chan. Haven't had a chance to look at the news."
"Some Japanese artist confessed to plagiarizing all his art. It's apparently creating quite a stir in the art community. But that's not even the crazy part." She explained. "Remember that stuff last month, about the teacher who confessed to touching those kids? Apparently, the same group that blackmailed him are also involved in this." At this, Gyro's eyebrow went up.
"The Phantom Thieves?"
"The same one. No one quite knows how they're pulling it off, though. I'm sure you have a few theories." Lala stayed as she set the class in front of Gyro, who stared at the brown liquid inside.
"Yeah, you could say that."
Nagasaki, afternoon
"Honey, have you seen my hat?"
"I put it in the closet, with your coat!" Holly Kujo called back, as she finished adjusting her own coat. She and her husband Sadao were getting ready to go out and get lunch at their favorite cafe, and Holly was now watching the news. As the screen displayed info on Madarame's crimes, and mentioned the Phantom Thieves, Holly couldn't help but frown. The house had been so empty since Jolyne had been exiled to Tokyo, and Holly couldn't help but think of her granddaughter as the news relitigated the Kamoshida incident.
"Alright, I found it. Are you ready?" Sadao Kujo, a burly man with a thick, grey beard asked as he affixed his hat, only to see his wife frowning. "What's wrong?"
"Dear…I think it's time we need to talk about making a trip soon."
Hokkaido
A man was walking through the campus of Hokkaido University, absorbed in his own thoughts…
"…Shujin academy teacher Suguru Kamoshida…" His ears perked up upon hearing this, his attention going to a student sitting on a bench watching a report on the Phantom Thieves. Eventually the student noticed someone towering over him, looking to see the man behind him.
"Professor Kujo? Is there something I can help you with?" He asked, stirring Jotaro from his thoughts.
"Sorry. Just…reminded of something my daughter sent me." Before the student could ask any further, Jotaro walked off, thinking to himself. 'Jolyne…'
New York City, afternoon.
"Sebulba? I've got a latte for Sebulba!" The barista called out, earning a sigh from a young woman with dark hair tied into a ponytail.
"Over here!" The woman said, taking the coffee. "You'd think a Japanese name would be easier to remember than a Star Wars alien…" Shizuka Joestar mumbled out as she headed towards the door, but not before her eyes caught a television displaying news about Madarame. From what she could gather, he was an influential artist who had confessed to plagiarism, and apparently the news was pinning it on a mysterious group called the Phantom Thieves. For some reason, she started thinking about her family in Japan, particularly her 'cousin.' 'I think I owe her a phone call.'
Naples, Italy
In a restaurant, deep in the Oceanside city, an older woman carried a dish into the back room. She set on the table of the lone occupant, removing the cover. "Octopus salad, just how you like it, signore. I ordered the ingredients fresh, just for you."
"Grazie, belladonna." The man thanked, and as he began to eat, his attention went to a news report on the adjacent wall. The woman followed his gaze to the report, her eyes widening.
"Oh my, are they talking about Madarame?" She gasped out, earning a raised eyebrow from the man as he ate.
"You're familiar with him?" He asked, earning a nod from the woman.
"I've always had a fascination with art, and he's one of the foremost Japanese painters of the modern era. I've even entertained the notion of hanging a few of his paintings in here, though they're much too expensive for me. To think that he stole the works of others all this time…" she explained, only catch herself. "Ah, forgive me, signore. I seem to have rambled for a bit…"
"Think nothing of it, signora. It's good to have hobbies outside of your profession." Not that he was one to talk. The man's job demanded constant attention, leaving little room for hobbies aside from the occasional film or book. However, there was something about the news report that caught his attention, beyond the news of Madarame. "Phantom Thieves? What are those?"
"Oh, my grandson was telling me about that!" The woman spoke up. "Apparently, they're a Japanese group who blackmailed a teacher who was abusing his students, and made him confess. According to his wife, who was over there on business at the time, it caused quite a commotion."
"I see…" A teacher who abused his students, and a painter who stole the works of his pupils. The man thought back to his own youth, to the men who had flooded this country with foul drugs, corrupting the very spirit of Italy. It had been a long, hard battle to undo that damage, and for a second, the man wondered if this group had similar intentions.
"Boss?" A new voice stated, and the man's eyes travelled to a tall woman with braided hair standing in the doorway. "I just got a call from Mista. The deal in Milan went through, and they're headed back now."
"I see. Thank you, Ermes." The Boss stated as he finished his meal, setting his silverware down. "Thank you, signora. The meal was delicious as always." He thanked, reaching into his coat, only for the woman to shake her hand.
"Please, it's on the house. A token of thanks for all you and the others have done for us." She thanked, causing the man to softly smile. He pulled out a modest stack of euros, setting them on the table.
"Then consider this a token of my thanks for broadening my horizons." The Boss stayed, casting one last glance at the television.
The Phantom Thieves…why was he so fixated on this? Was it because it reminded him of that spring of 2001, where he and his friends had fought tooth and nail to uproot the drug operation in this country? Because, in some way, they brought to mind his long departed friends?
He shook his head, golden braid shaking as he did so. No sense dwelling on that now. There was still work to be done, and he would see it through.
As Giorno Giovanna walked out of the restaurant, he shook thoughts of the Phantom Thieves out of his head. He had no time to dwell on useless things.