The Phantom Justice (Persona 5 Royal Strikers / Young Justice: Outsiders)
Chapter 13: Early Evening Cat Fight
Café Leblanc, Yongen-Jaya, Tokyo, Japan
August 5th, 2018 6:00 PM JST
"Thank you, come again," Sojiro Sakura said to the last of his customers, an elderly couple with a young boy who was most likely their grandson before they left the café after ordering Leblanc's famous curry and coffee. They even ordered the newly added dessert menus which strangely looked like a smiling cat. It might be the next popular menu item judging by how the kid was smiling. He figured that it must be because it was inspired by Morgana, the cat.
Speaking of the latter, he is sitting at a booth with Futaba Sakura, his adoptive daughter, who was busy looking over a pair of Goode Goggles. However, she was not alone. Sitting in the seat in front of her was Kuon Ichinose, who was quickly typing away at the laptop in front of her as she scrolled through what he believed was a large amount of code and data that he could barely make heads or tails of.
Sojiro could not help but chuckle happily to himself at the sight of Futaba working so closely with another person. She had really come so far compared to how she was when he first welcomed her into his home.
He had taken her in after the death of her mother, his colleague and former flame when he served as a government liaison for her research facility. Her biological father was nowhere to be found and the rest of her family took out their jealousy on her. With nowhere else to go, Sojiro took her in. She remained a shut-in until Ren and his friends came along and helped her out of her shell.
The thought of the kid brought a forlorn look on his face. It had been a few days since he mysteriously up and disappeared on his friends, including Futaba, while they were in Shibuya.
Naturally, they reached out to all their contacts, but no one, not even Sumire had heard or seen Ren since his disappearance.
Eventually, they notified Zenkichi, who used some of his connections to rapidly issue a missing person's report for him. So far, there hasn't been any sign of him. He hoped that he was alright because he had grown fond of the kid. Just what could've caused him to just up and disappear like that? It wasn't just him. Futaba was completely upset about his disappearance. In her words, he is her most important item. He really didn't get the gamer lingo. But he did know that kid was in for a sound beating the moment they found him.
Back to Futaba, the girl had one of those Goode Goggles in front of her and was staring at it with a frown. On the table are various tools that she had borrowed from Ren's old desk upstairs in preparation to take it apart. After a few minutes, she gently set it down to avoid disrupting its connection to Ichinose's computer and threw her arms in the air.
"How the heck did they make this thing?" Futaba growled, pounding the table. "It doesn't use screws?"
"Well, it is the latest and most advanced virtual augmented reality headset on the market, so naturally, they would want to design it in a way that not only ensures it is durable but also prevents other people from tampering with it recklessly," Ichinose replied without looking away from her screen.
"This has got to be some fine craftsmanship," Morgana muttered, peering at the Goode Goggles. The design reminded him somewhat of the spaceport theme of Kunikazu Okumura's palace.
Kuon nodded before returning to her work. After a few minutes, she stopped typing breathed in and sighed in an exaggerated manner as she slumped back against the wall of the booth.
"Well, I can honestly say that for one of the few times in my life, I am well and truly stumped," she said earning a surprised reaction from Futaba.
"Wait seriously?! Even you couldn't figure it out?" Futaba cried out surprised that even a coding master like Ichinose, who could remove her digital fingerprint from even the most advanced form of coding, was stumped in figuring out their latest endeavour.
"What's got you two so worked up? Is it really that hard to figure out how to take those goggles apart?" Sojiro asked with a curious look.
"That's not what Ichinose was trying to do." Futaba replied causing Sojiro to raise an eyebrow. "I asked for her expertise to help me figure out the MetaLauncher app. I didn't have any luck and Ichinose is the only person I know who could help, what with her experience with the Emma app and the fact that she is the only person I consider my equal."
Morgana could not help but chuckle, "That sure brings back some memories. If I remember correctly, I remember you being very impressed back when you first analyzed Sophia's code. In fact, if I am not mistaken, you called Ichinose a genius and even you made it sound like she was even better than…"
Before he could finish that sentence, Futaba, who was slightly blushing, quickly grabbed his cheeks and gently massaged his whiskers in a way that muffled his words.
"Shhh there, there Mona. Loose lips sink ships major!" Futaba replied while Morgana tried and failed to finish his sentence.
Ichinose could not help but chuckle at the sight. However, Futaba blinked and let go of Morgana as his earlier words reminded her of something.
"Oh, wait what about Sophia? Did she figure it out?" Futaba asked Ichinose who blinked at her question.
"Oh, yes that's right well…" Ichinose hummed as she and Futaba looked to the phone at her side. While Ichinose had initially been confident, she could figure out the MetaLauncher, Sophia also offered her services as well, claiming she was curious to test her own skills in this endeavour.
However, while Ichinose had finished a while ago, Sophia had still not returned from analyzing the goggles and was absent from Ichinose's phone which appeared to have an adorable chibi version of Sophie (Sophia's Phantom Thief persona) playing with some maintenance tools while a loading bubble moved around in the background.
"… Did you design that?" Morgana asked while looking at the curious image.
"Nope," Ichinose replied while purposefully popping the "p". "Sophia did that all by herself. Something about creating it for comedic effect or the like."
"…It looks cute." Futaba said.
Suddenly, a bell rang through the café and everyone inside turned around to see a familiar face enter the Café.
"Oh, Dr. Maruki! Welcome!" Futaba said as Shujin Academy's former councillor entered Sojiro's humble shop.
"It's good to see you again Futaba. And I told you to just call me Maruki from now on." He said with a light chuckle.
"Oh, Maruki you're here. You made it just in time. That Curry you ordered is almost ready." Sojiro said popping his head out from the kitchen.
Maruki practically beamed at the news. "That's great news! It's been a pretty long day, so I've been looking forward to having your curry to get me through the rest of my shift."
"Coming right up" said Sojiro as he quickly went back into the kitchen.
After the boss left, Maruki suddenly noticed that Futaba was not alone. Ichinose smiled politely as she gave Maruki a small wave.
"Oh, my apologies I had not realized that Sakura-san had more company." He said as he approached Ichinose and extended his hand.
"Takuto Maruki, it's a pleasure to meet you miss…" Maruki started as he introduced himself.
"Ichinose. Kuon Ichinose. It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Maruki." Ichinose said with a smile.
Maruki blinked as the name sounded familiar to him. "Wait Ichinose? As in the famous programmer and AI specialist currently teaching at the local university?" he asked to which she nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard a lot about your work and let me tell you I think that it's incredibly fascinating."
Ichinose giggled at his enthusiastic response.
As they were talking, Sophia suddenly popped back into Ichinose's phone with an audible pop.
"I have finished my analysis Ichinose." Sophia chirped loudly getting everyone's attention. Of course, Maruki was unaware of Sophia looked around the café trying to find the source of the voice.
"I-Is someone else here?" he asked.
"Oh! Welcome back Sophia." Futaba said as all three gathered around the phone, with Maruki having a look of fascination on his face.
"Is… is that some kind of advanced AI?" he asked while looking at Sophia, who quickly noticed him.
"Greetings! I am Sophia. Humanity's companion." Sophia greeted enthusiastically while waving at Maruki who was initially surprised before waving back to her.
"Fascinating." Maruki muttered as the scientist and researcher within him could not help but be interested in Sophia.
"She's also a member of the Phantom Thieves. So make sure you show her the same respect Maruki." Morgana proclaimed from his seat.
Maruki and Ichinose appeared shocked that Morgana would reveal that in front of the other. However, their shock was soon replaced by intrigue as they both looked at each other, having recognized that the other could recognize Morgana.
"Oh no need for any of that Secret ID stuff guys. Everyone here already knows about the Phantom Thieves," Futaba said making sure to avoid what would have been a very long conversation.
Before either one could have talked to her about that, Futaba had already shifted her attention back to Sophia.
"So, Sophia. Did you have any luck figuring out the MetaLauncher?" Futaba asked excitedly.
However, her excitement came to an end, when Sophia's usual smile was replaced with a sad frown, followed by her making a scrunched-up pouty face, as she thought about how to explain her findings to her.
Finally, she also gave an exasperated sigh, similar to her creator, "I apologize, but the coding of this program is unlike anything I have seen. Even the Emma app was not this complex. Also, it has a… unique feel to it that I can't quite place." Sophia explained. "With time, it's possible I can uncover more. But for now, I am afraid there is not much else I can do."
Futaba sighed. "Thanks anyway, Sophia."
Maruki meanwhile frowned at the mention of the MetaLauncher. Even though he was not familiar with said program, the name and Futaba's fixation on it was all he needed to know.
'So, I was right. An unknown party is once again taking advantage of the Metaverse.'
However, before any of them could continue, Sojiro came in with a tray carrying curry and coffee.
"Your order is ready Maruki," Sojiro said getting everyone's attention, especially Maruki who was practically drooling at the sight of the curry.
"Oh yes! Thanks so much, Sakura-san. Thanks for the food!" Maruki cried out as he eagerly dug in while Sojiro served some food and drinks to Ichinose and Futaba.
After a while, all the people in the café returned to having a normal conversation, while Futaba once again lamented about the issue she was having with the Goode Goggles.
"From what I can tell, you guys are having a great time with them," Sojiro said getting Futaba's attention.
"It would be great if it weren't for the fact that something keeps pricking me every time I use it!" Futaba complained, giving the virtual headset a baleful glare. "When nobody would help when I sent complaints, I made it my quest to find out what's been sticking in my cheek. The problem will be much simpler if I took it apart, but this is really difficult!"
"It would be much cheaper that way," Sojiro agreed as he walked out from behind the counter. "But since you can't, how about we just get a new one?"
"I can't do that, Sojiro," Futaba protested. "These things are the most expensive VR headsets on the market! You need a high-ranking quest to even get one of these."
"If the company isn't responding to the complaints, then you need to get a refund," Sojiro said firmly. "I'm appalled that…what was the company that made those goggles?"
"Goode World Studios," Sophia answered for him.
"Right. I'm appalled that they aren't seeing a problem with their goggles. The way I see it, you need to a new one. Maybe another VR headset that isn't Goode Goggles."
"The idea crossed my mind Sojiro," Futaba groaned. "But unfortunately, when I purchased the Goode Goggles, the store had gotten rid of the other headsets!"
"Then do you still have the warranty that came with the goggles?" Ichinose asked. When Futaba became still, she took that as a sign to continue. "If you have a warranty, the seller or manufacturer guarantees remedies for product defects for one year from the date of sale. During that time, the seller shall repair or replace the product if any defects are found."
Sojiro chuckled as he stared at Futaba's blushing gobsmacked face. "Seriously, that surprised you. I thought you knew that?"
"I'm not good with that sort of thing okay!" Futaba threw up her hands. "I think I left the warranty at home."
"Let's head on over there," Sojiro said as he started taking off his apron. "Once we get it, we can head over to the store you got it from. If they won't at least honor that, we'll just demand a refund."
"Alright!" Futaba cheered up. "Maybe when we're done, we can head to Shibuya. Ryuji said he was going to catch a movie there so maybe we can hang out when were done."
Sojiro chuckled. "One thing at a time Futaba." Sojiro then turned to the remaining occupants of his café. "Sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm going to have to close early."
Ichinose and Maruki, who had finally finished his meal, were quick to reassure him.
"Think nothing of it Sakura-san. Actually, as thanks for giving me such delicious food, allow me to drive you to your destination free of charge."
Sojiro was surprised. "That's way too generous. I mean you already paid me for your dinner, with a tip. I couldn't possibly…" Sojiro tried to argue only for Maruki to shoot him down.
"I insist." He said.
Sojiro looked at him before shrugging. "Alright then if you're sure," he said with a smile.
"Likewise, no worries Sojiro," Ichinose said. "I actually need to head off myself. I have quite a bit of work waiting for me back at the university."
"I look forward to our next hangout Futaba," Sophia said. "I will also keep an eye out for Ren on my end as well."
With that Ichinose waved goodbye to everyone and Sophia bid farewell to her friends and Maruki.
As Sojiro put on his hat and coat, he frowned when he started looking through his coat.
"Darn it, now where did I put my wallet?" Mentally retracing his steps, Sojiro snapped his fingers as he remembered. Right, I left it upstairs while I was cleaning up."
Sojiro turned around, "Sorry for the wait. Give me two minutes and I'll be right back."
"Take your time." Maruki said.
As Sojiro ascended the stairs, Maruki's face turned serious. He had heard about what happened to Ren and after learning about the MetaLauncher, an old memory suddenly came to him.
As Futaba picked up her Goode Goggles, Maruki tapped her shoulder. "Futaba, Morgana there is something I think you should know."
The seriousness in his voice, caused both Phantom Thieves to listen attentively. "After hearing about Ren and your recent experience with the MetaLauncher, I can't help but remember a certain moment that happened to me shortly before you returned from your trip."
"What happened?" Morgana asked.
Maruki seemed hesitant at first before deciding to spill the beans. "Honestly, I am not entirely sure if what I saw was real or not, but a few days ago, while I was at Shibuya crossing… I thought I saw Akechi."
That comment surprised both Futaba and Morgana, but before they could ask him for more details, Maruki quickly interjected. "As I said, I am not 100 percent certain that it was him. I was tired that day and it could have also been someone wearing similar clothes to him. It's just that with all that's happened recently… I don't know, I think I just had to tell you."
Futaba and Morgana frowned at that. Though not at Maruki, but the possibility of Akechi being alive. Assuming that Maruki had in fact seen him, why had he suddenly shown up now of all times? Especially right after the events of Markovia and Ren's disappearance.
Colour them paranoid, but this all seemed way too connected to be a coincidence.
Their train of thought was soon interrupted by the sound of Sojiro coming down the stairs.
"Found it! So, are we ready to go?" he asked.
"Oh, for sure. I'll go get the car ready," Maruki said as he quickly exited the cafe followed by Sojiro.
As Futaba walked to the café door and prepared to leave, she turned around to look at Morgana who hadn't left the table. She silently watched as the not-cat was staring at the TV.
"Are you going to come?" She asked.
"I'm alright," Morgana said. "I'll just be waiting here as usual. Just leave the TV on, okay."
"Okay," Futaba said slowly. "See in a bit."
"And you better bring me some tuna!" Morgana called after her as she left the café. Morgana stared at the door for a moment before returning his gaze to the TV. Ever since he got back, he had been staying with at the Sakura residence. The footage is being filmed live inside the diet building. Standing at a podium to address an assembled crowd of representatives is a man that reminded Morgana so much of Masayoshi Shido.
"Thank you all for having me here," Lex Luthor said in Japanese. "If we are going to prevent another alien invasion, we need to work together. I'm hoping that I can convince Japan to change their mind and join us in protecting our planet."
Lex Luthor appeared yesterday on 'Good Morning Japan'. It's a popular talk show that usual features in the morning. He came to negotiate with Japan to convince them to sign the Justice League's U.N. charter. From what he gathered, the charter is what gave the League jurisdiction in the countries that signed it. Right now, Japan didn't sign it, meaning they cannot operate in Japan.
"If they had, they probably would've made our heists difficult," Morgana muttered. If that were the case, people like the Batman would've found out a long time ago. Especially during the time in which they were framed for causing the mental shutdowns.
"Luthor, I don't understand why we would need the Justice League here," a man dressed in a black suit said. "We haven't had any supervillain attacks or any alien invasions aside from the Reach. If you ask me, they're much more needed in America."
"Exactly my point," Luthor said pointedly. "Your nation has isolated itself from the superhuman community. As a result, and pardon me for my bluntness, you lack the experience to handle such matters, including cases involving Metahuman trafficking. Personally, I'm concerned that Japan will fall should an invasion occur."
"Are you implying that the Japanese Self-Defense Force can't protect our nation during an invasion?"
"No, but please forgive me if I caused offense" Luthor answered imploringly. "I mean no disrespect to the brave men and women in the JSDF. Especially to the police forces. What I'm suggesting is that Japan takes the initiative while it has the chance. Take the Meiji Restoration for example. By opening itself up to the world, they became a dominant power in the world or else they would become dominated. This has led to Japan to create something new from the western ideologies and advances and merging them with their traditional eastern ideologies. Something uniquely Japanese. From this reform, a strong national identity was fostered through a national dialect, land reforms were passed, the samurai abolished, and public-school systems were established across the country."
The representatives were stunned by Luthor's knowledge of their country's history. Morgana sat through Ren's classes and knew only a handful. Most of it covered the Meiji restoration. But coming from Luthor's mouth, it felt like honey. Just like watching one of Shido's speeches about making Japan great again.
"That right there is initiative," Luthor said. "Now it's time for Japan to make a decision. To take the initiative to protect yourselves before it's too late."
Morgana had seen and heard enough. Rolling his eyes, the not-cat jumped off the table and walked upstairs. He and Ren had done their research on the man due to his similarity to Shido. Before becoming Secretary General, he had been the CEO of LexCorp, the company that promoted the Reach. The very aliens that invaded their planet not too long ago.
Yet Luthor was able to avoid the blame by claiming he was being used by the Reach and most of the blame was directed at former Secretary General Tseng Dangun. While the Justice League in Japan may sound promising, his policies regarding remain questionable. He didn't know much about politics, but Luthor knew how to play the legal system. Especially when he has a lot of money and influence. Which would mean that if he's just like Shido, harboring twisted desires, he would have a palace. That would mean there would be treasure to steal.
But those thoughts were dashed when he came upstairs. Before Ren came along, it was primarily used as a storage room. The decorations were still there such as the Rise Kujikawa poster for her song Sapphire. There was the desk where Ren used to make the infiltration tools for heists. Futaba had yet to return the tools she borrowed. Next to the couch is a TV with a game console connected to it. Looking up, he could see the rafter he used for his morning training regimen. It's important for a Phantom Thief to keep their body in shape.
The cats' eyes looked up at the banner above the couch. It's the Phantom Thief logo with the slogan beneath it. On most days, he would look upon the symbol with pride. But now, he felt ashamed of himself. If he hadn't been locked up in that pet cage, he could've stopped Ren when he started acting weird.
If he were here, Ren would've told him to not blame himself. But Morgana kept telling himself that wouldn't be true. No matter how many times his fellow thieves told him so. If he wasn't locked up in that cage, he could've stopped Ren from wandering off. Screw the airport rules.
If Ryuji heard him say that he'd probably throw his head back in laughter.
"Wherever you are, I hope you are safe Joker," Morgana muttered, using Ren's codename. "I don't want to lose my best student."
Outside, thunder rumbled. Feeling tired, he moved over to the bed and jumped on. Stretching his body, he curled up into a ball. After a few seconds, he purred to sleep.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Scarab Temple, Greater Bialya
July 31st, 2018 2:00 AM EEST
"I go by the name... Red X."
Red X remained unflinching as he stood before the members of the Light. Most of whom narrowed their eyes at him. In Klarion's case, it was more of an amused smirk.
Red X then proceeded to calmly make his way towards the leaders of the Light, even with Deathstroke getting ready to attack him at the slightest hint of trouble.
The Leader of the Shadows narrowed his eyes as Red X made his way towards them.
'Who is he… He is not just some ordinary punk with a mask.' Deathstroke thought as he tightened his grip on his blade. As Red X made his way towards them, Deathstroke and especially Vandal Savage, immediately took note that despite his calm demeanor, Red X's body language, even the most subtle movements, showed that he was more than ready to fight if need be.
However, that alone was not the only reason that Deathstroke and most of the Light were wary of him. Rather, it was the fact that he was there at all.
After all, even the League, nor even their precious Team, have ever been able to locate and crash their secret meetings that took place within their secret headquarters located in Western Mongolia's Khüiten Peak. And yet, not only had this Red X discovered the location of where their current meeting at the moment was being held, but he managed to infiltrate the base while also evading the swarms of guards located both within and around the base.
And he was not the only one who thought this.
Before Deathstroke could intercept Red X, Vandal Savage calmly raised his arm signaling Deathstroke to halt his current action. At the same time, Red X, also stopped his advance. After about several moments of silence and sizing each other up, Vandal finally broke the silence.
"You have certainly come a long way to seek an audience with the Light." Vandal spoke in his usual calm tone while putting his arms behind his back. Yet despite, his calm outer appearance, he too did not drop his guard.
"You mentioned being part of an organization. Who exactly would send someone as skilled as yourself to negotiate on their behalf with the Light."
"Vandal, surely you have no intention on humoring this naughty child, do you?" Granny Goodness spoke up with her sickly-sweet smile.
"Mind your tone old hag." Red X spoke in a clam threatening tone. "Last I checked, Vandal Savage leads the Light not you."
His comment made Granny growl threateningly, but before she could take any action, a sharp look from Vandal was all she needed to regain her bearings and give a smug look at Red X. No doubt, thinking of various ways to… discipline him.
"While his intrusion is unexpected and unwarranted, no normal person can simply march into the Light's domain without so much as a warning. Still, his presence does present an intriguing offer. So go on boy, tell the Light what it is you offer." Vandal said offering Red X to say what he had to say.
"It has come to my employer's attention that you've recently lost access to one your largest suppliers of metahumans. Taken thanks to the actions of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts." Red X said, causing most of the Light to frown.
"While you may have other avenues to acquire more metas, the Bedlam Syndicate was one of the very few to produce decent results. With that particular ring, as well as Bedlam himself gone, your stuck relying on some of the more… less experienced suppliers. Suppliers who will no doubt lead your enemies right to your doorstep." Red X paused in his speech waiting for the Light to say something. Although, no one said anything, the looks they gave him told him he had their attention, and he took that as a sign for him to continue.
"And as I told you earlier, Bedlam may have supplied your mindless puppets, but those fools hardly produced soldiers. My organization is willing to offer you the same services, but with significantly better results." Red X claimed.
"And pray tell, what organization do you claim can offer us even better results than the Bedlam Syndicate?" inquired Ultra-Humanite with a mocking tone to his synthetic voice.
"N.O.W.H.E.R.E." Red X's reply caused Ultra-Humanite to raise an eyebrow, while his fellow members had mixed reactions. Some were surprised, while others seemed unimpressed.
"N.O.W.H.E.R.E., you say?" Queen Bee asked, intrigued.
Vandal then spoke up, also intrigued. "You claim to be part of an organization whose name is completely unknown, even within the darkest corners of the criminal underworld, as well as to those of the Light?"
"I am." Red X replied.
"Bold words, coming from a punk whose existence we barely knew of less than five minutes ago." Deathstroke said from his position while still maintaining a tight grip on his sword, while his other hand was gearing to grab his gun at the slightest movement.
"Bold they may be, they aren't any less true." Red X said. "There's a reason why the very name of our organization is a complete mystery, especially to the truly corrupt individuals of the world, but that is hardly even relevant right now. Bedlam may have supplied your mindless puppets, but N.O.W.H.E.R.E. produces lethal soldiers that will go to any length to see their mission through. And in this case, the Light more than anyone requires our services."
Lex Luthor could not help but raise an eyebrow in intrigue. "Oh, and what exactly is it you can offer the Light that we can't already do on our own?"
"Well for one, we know for a fact that the League and their so-called black ops unit have been closely following your activities, especially after your recent loss." Red X calmly pointed out, causing the members of the Light to frown.
"You try to launch an attack on an enemy whose identity you don't even know and who have also gotten the attention of your enemies, you can be damn sure they will find out and they will stop you." Red X's voice soon took on a more threatening tone.
"At the moment, my associates and I know that the Phantom Thieves are unaware of your existence. Right now, that anonymity is the only thing that's preventing the Phantom Thieves from putting an end to your little cabal." Said Red X. "However, if you try to attack them and the Team intervenes, I can promise you that your odds of success are not very high. And even if you happen to kill a few members in the process, so long as a single Phantom Thief escapes your little vendetta, then you run the risk of the League learning of their methods. Methods that they will not hesitate to use on you."
As Red X said all this, he slowly got close enough Vandal to directly stare him down, before moving away.
"However, N.O.W.H.E.R.E. has no such limitation. Neither the League, their Team, or even the Phantom Thieves are aware of our existence." Red X pointed out. "While your enemies are so focused on you, they won't be able to stop my associates from infiltrating Japan and deal with the Phantom Thieves. By the time the League or the Team find out what's going on, we'll already be long gone and we both have one less problem to deal with."
Red X looked back to Vandal Savage, who continued to stoically observe him.
"So, what do you say Savage, do we have a deal?" Red X asked.
Vandal remained silent simply choosing to stare at Red X while mulling over the details he provided. As the rest of the Light looked at Vandal, waiting for him to decide, the oldest metahuman finally gave his answer.
"You've certainly come a long way to meet with the Light. And you demonstrated great skill in coming this far. What's more your plan does have plenty of valid points, it would certainly be advantageous for a third party to handle the Phantom Thieves while the Light distracts the League and their pawns." Vandal explained calmly while Red X silently listened.
"However…" Red X narrowed his eyes behind his mask.
"The Phantom Thieves committed a personal grievance against the Light. To quote an old associate of ours, in doing so they threaten our personal mission in evolving humanity to its ultimate form and claiming its rightful place as the rulers of the cosmos." Vandal stated before narrowing his own eyes.
"So, I'm afraid that we will have to decline your offer." Vandal finished as Deathstroke slowly walked towards Red X from the side.
However, rather than appear worried, Red X merely sighed. "I see... That is too bad. Fortunately, my employers expected this to happen, which is why we have prepared a very reasonable counteroffer in advance."
That last part immediately put Vandal and the other members of the Light on guard. Deathstroke quickly prepared to take immediate action, but before he could act, a loud crash echoed behind him followed by the sound of a feline's shriek.
"TEEKL!" Klarion cried out.
Quickly turning around, Vandal and Deathstroke's eyes widened as a whip made of purple energy pierced through the ground behind Klarion, before quickly wrapping around Teekl. Before anyone could react, both Teekl and the whip vanished while Red X wisely jumped away from Vandal and Savage, launching himself back a considerable distance that no normal human could achieve on their own.
When he landed, a flash of purple light materialized next to him. He was soon joined by another man covered in similar purple energy. He smiled smugly as he held a snarling and struggling Teekl in an energy whip.
"You sons of birches!" Klarion cried out in anger before preparing to blast his enemies to oblivion, but before he had a chance, the newcomer struck Teekl with several whips at speeds even Klarion could barely follow. The familiar cried out in pain as the whips created dozens of flesh wounds across Teekl's body, causing Klarion's own body to fade in and out of existence.
"Unless you want your big gun to disappear permanently from this plain of existence, I suggest you seriously consider our counteroffer." Red X threatened as his associate Leash licked his lips in a sadistic manner.
"Oh yeah? Well, the jokes on you. Teekl's my familiar! She won't be that easy to kill!" Klarion boasted. "Come on Teekl! Show them what a familiar to a Lord of Chaos can do!
However, rather than transform into a giant cat version of herself, Teekl continued to screech and snarl at her captors. After a few seconds, Klarion became confused.
"What the heck are you doing Teekl?! Transform and tear those guys apart already!" Klarion wined out.
"MEOWWW!"
"What do you mean you can't…?!" Klarion started to complain before he stopped himself when he noticed Teekl was now wearing some kind of band with arcane designs and runes strapped around her neck.
While most of the Light barely noticed this little detail, Klarion was more than familiar with it.
"Where the heck did you get that?" Klarion snarled as he let his rage take over.
"I see you recognized your pet's new collar. Mystic containment bands from the planet Zerox. Specifically, designed to negate magical powers. While it's not enough to disrupt the connection between a Lord of Chaos and its familiar, it still inhibits most of the latter's unique abilities." Red X surmised grasping Teekl by the scruff of her neck causing her to go immobile, but still snarl at her captors.
"So like I said, unless you want the Witch Boy to crawl back to whatever plain he came from, I would seriously urge you to reconsider our bargain... With a number of differences, that is." Red X threatened with a calm and deadly tone.
Klarion was practically foaming at the mouth as he had to force himself to hold back from vaporizing the two soon to be dead men before him.
"Why you little insignificant…!" Klarion roared before he was cut off.
"Klarion!" The Witch Boy looked to Vandal Savage. "I understand your rage, however, unless you wish for your fun to come to an end, I strongly recommend showing caution… at least for the time being."
Klarion looked like he wanted to refute, but one look into Vandal's battle-hardened eyes made him abandon this course of action and reluctantly, albeit angrily, stand down. It was times like this where most of the Light was reminded that although Klarion could easily destroy them all, even he can't refute the cold logic that Vandal had amassed over the course of human civilization.
Vandal Savage then stepped forward and addressed the two agents of N.O.W.H.E.R.E.
"You have made your point. We shall hear out your offer. Though be warned that the Light will not soon forget your transgressions today." Vandal threatened with rage brimming deep within his ancient core.
Leash smiled sinisterly in response, while Red X gave a small smirk under his mask.
"Alright then. Here's the plan…"
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Café Leblanc, Yongen-Jaya, Tokyo, Japan
August 5th, 2018 6:36 PM JST
Morgana's ears perked up as he woke up. It was raining outside, which seemed to be increasing in intensity. However, that wasn't what woke him up.
It was the sound of the bell of the café's door ringing.
"They couldn't be back this soon, could they?" Morgana wondered. It was way past closing time, so it would be strange to come here at this time of night. Curious, Morgana jumps off the bed and walked towards the stairs. He had just gotten to the bottom of the stair when the cat froze in place.
The person inside the café was not Sojiro or Futaba.
"This place is quite tacky," A blonde man sneered. He wore a maroon and purple suit. His right eye is covered in a red patch in the form of a lightning bolt. On his back, he carried a wooden bo staff. Walking to the counter, he picked up the remote and turned off the TV.
"Who leaves the TV on?" He muttered as he examines the room. Morgana's fur bristled at that comment. Ever since Ren first brought him here, this café was like his first home next to Ren's apartment.
"Just where does this guy get off?" Morgana growled. "And how did he get in here? The door was supposed to be locked."
To the human ear, his sentence sounded like a string of meows. The moment he heard the sound, the stranger tensed up. His hand briefly hovered over his staff as he looked in Morgana's direction.
"Oh, it's just a cat," the Stranger breathed out. He had a face that was asking what the hell he was worried about. He moved to the stairs only to be blocked by Morgana. When he tried to step around, Mona moved to intercept.
"Get out of my way," the Stranger growled.
"Not a chance," Morgana said in a low tone as he blocked him again. Honestly, he didn't really have a plan. The last time the café had been invaded by burglars was during a sting operation. He and the Thieves at the time were only able to drive them off with a phony alarm system set up by Ren. It was a miracle that the chief didn't find out that his café was used as bait.
"What is with this cat?" the Stranger asked in exasperation. "Whatever…I don't have time for this…"
The stranger raised his hand at the feline. Morgana felt some unseen force grip his body like a hand. He let out a yelp as he was yanked off the floor and thrown over the shoulder of the stranger. Fortunately for him, cats have a knack for landing on their feet. Not that he is a cat to begin with. Landing on the floor, his blue eyes narrowed on the back of the stranger with wariness.
"What just threw me?" Morgana asked himself. He replayed the seen with his mind. His eyes widening with realization as the stranger climbed the stair. "Could he be…"
Morgana followed the stranger. The light had been turned on for anyone to see. He came just in time to see him rummaging the room. And by rummaging he meant dozens of objects flying. Storage bins, duffel bags, and lots more items floated in the air. Amidst the cloud of stuff, the stranger walked. Whenever an object would float towards him, it swerved around him. It's as if he's the one causing it. This served to confirm Morgana's suspicions.
This guy is a metahuman.
The Stranger remained calm as he scanned the room. His eyes stopped on the Phantom Thief banner hanging proudly. Stepping in for a closer look, he zeroed in on the logo.
"Just like the one from Markovia," the Stranger smirked. "What a wonderful way to show you're a Phantom Thief, Ren Amamiya. Except that you're not here… A shame too. Because that just makes my assignment more difficult."
Morgana's body became rigid. This guy was looking for Ren? But why? Judging from the tone, that can't mean anything good. Especially when he mentioned Markovia. Is he one of Baron Bedlam's enforcers? Is this retaliation? If so, how did he find out his identity?
"Hmm?" the stranger hummed as he pressed a finger to his temple. Morgana watched from behind, so he was unable to see his facial expressions. This went on for over a minute and Morgana didn't know what was going on.
"What is that guy doing?" Morgana wondered. As he continued to study him, the shadows began to shift at the corner of his eye. The feline noticed this and turned his attention to a shadow growing to the size of a door. Was it the strangers doing? He didn't appear to have noticed this phenomenon occurring. As Morgana pondered what was going on, a figure stepped out of the shadow.
His tail shot up as he gazed upon a face he thought he would never see again. If he had human form, he would've cried in relief as Ren Amamiya stepped into the room. His long-lost friend had finally returned. The joy he felt was mixed with confusion as he realized he was wearing his Phantom Thief attire. He could only take that form in the metaverse. So how is he wearing it? Actually better question, how did he pull off that shadow trick?
The shadow behind Ren dispersed. As if sensing his presence, the stranger turned around and saw Ren in the room. Ren was briefly surprised to see someone unfamiliar in his former room and became on guard. The objects stopped moving in the air and dropped to the floor. The two of them stared at each other in silence, trying to see who would break or speak up first.
"Why hello there," the stranger greeted. "It appears somebody has wandered into the wrong place at the wrong time."
"I could say the same thing," Ren retorts with an even voice, putting his hands in his pockets. "But I suppose you're just doing your job. Burglars are supposed to break into other people's residences."
"Excuse me?" the stranger said, a little irked by Ren's sass. "I am no burglar."
"Interesting. Then what are you?"
"I am—wait, why am I even talking to you? Who are you to call me out for breaking in?" the stranger asked. "Wait, never mind. I can find out for myself."
The Stranger pressed a finger to his temple. Ren suddenly clutched his head and cried out. It felt as though he was experiencing a sudden and very painful headache.
"Joker, are you alright?" Morgana asked as he ran over. It was then that his leader finally noticed his feline companion. Cloudy gray eyes brightened in recognition. He gave him a small smile despite the pain he was in.
"Morgana…"
"Oh… This is rich," the Stranger said slowly. The two thieves looked back just in time to see him smile in a not-so-good way. "Just when I was about to go to the trouble of looking for you. Thank you for sparing me the hard labor, Amamiya. I must admit, your outfit looks very stylish."
"Am I supposed to know you?" Ren asked.
"No, you don't," the Stranger answered. He twirled his staff. "You can call me Threshold. And I know all about you."
"Oh? And pray tell, what exactly do you know about me?"
"Plenty enough," Threshold answered eerily. "But why tell you when I'm about to kill you?"
Those words sent a chill down the Thieves' spines. "What?"
Threshold thrust out his hand. Ren was taken off the ground and slammed into a wall. The Phantom Thief gritted his teeth as he struggled against the invisible force holding him in place. But it was no use.
"Joker!" Morgana cried out.
"Like the feeling of my Telekinesis?" Threshold asked smugly as he slowly began to close his fist. "Usually, I prefer the usual head explosion. But alas, I must make this look like an accident. Like falling down the stairs. Otherwise, it wouldn't be subtle."
"Why are you doing this?" Ren growled out as the invisible force began to constrict. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't get free even with his newfound strength. He was starting to wish that one of those wannabee-super criminals had superstrength.
"You're really asking that?" Threshold asked. "Did you forget what you and your friends did in Markovia? Lots of people weren't happy about Baron Bedlam suddenly selling out his operations."
"So, you're working for Bedlam?"
"As if I would work for that ignoramus," Threshold scoffed. "No, me and my team serve a higher calling. One that wants you dead."
"Well, I hope they get their money's worth!" Morgana calls out, charging towards him. It is true that he can't do much in the real world. Aside from having a prehensile tail that lets him lockpick or work on a bus. But that doesn't mean he's useless.
The not-cat jumps up and latches onto the fabric of Threshold's suit. Climbing up, he began to attack the psychic. Morgana scratched and even bit at his head, causing Threshold to cry out in pain and wave his arms around trying to grab Morgana.
This action broke his telekinetic hold on Ren's body. Without his concentration, Ren felt his body become liberated and fall to the ground. Taking deep breaths, Ren struggled to get up. The migraine hurt worse than when he shadow stepped back into this room. This small room that he viewed as home. It was hurting before Threshold attacked him.
"What is going on?" Ren asked, feeling his head. "Is this Threshold's doing?"
Meanwhile, Threshold was still trying to get Morgana off him. His flailing arms tried to swat him off, but Morgana deftly avoided them. He even went as far as to crawl along his arm and bite his hand. The not-cat isn't letting up any time soon.
"Enough of this!" Threshold growled. There was fire in his one eye as he activated his telekinesis. Morgana was ripped off his body and slammed into the wooden floor. He was lifted off the ground and slammed into it again. The process repeated several times before he was tossed into the air. Threshold was spinning his staff before striking the not-cat in the back. Morgana let out a gasp of pain as he crashed against a wall and slid down. A couple of duffel bags cushioned the injured feline's fall.
Ren stared at his friend with his mouth open in abject horror. As his mind was trying to process the brutal beatdown of one of his cherished friends. Threshold dusted himself off and winced from the scratches and bite marks that Morgana left on him.
"Stupid cat."
Those were the words that snapped Ren out of the trance. His assailant's insult filled him with simmering rage. Clenching his teeth, he glared hard at the man, his anger temporarily numbing the intense migraine.
"You're going to regret that," Ren growled, his eyes glowing an ominous gold.
He never had the chance to experiment with his powers much. Luckily, the mechanics appeared to be like when he fought in the Metaverse. Whether it'd be acquiring new powers or switching them. When he absorbs another power, he also gains the user's experience with it. The only limitation he's noticed so far is that he could only use one power at a time. The only power that he had by default was his Third Eye ability, which he still retained after all these years.
The only thing he didn't try was fusion. While reckless to experiment in the middle of a fight, there was no time like the present.
Right before Threshold's eyes, Ren began to change. His form became enveloped in shadow, darkening out his attire. His facial features, along with his mask, also became shrouded. The section of the room he stood in seemed to darken, with only a pair of golden eyes glaring at Threshold, who was stunned by the transformation.
"What the—"
"Showtime."
Without hesitating, Ren kicked off from the ground. Behind his back, wings black as the abyss itself unfurled behind him. Before Threshold could react, talons gripped him by the shoulders as Ren pushed him to the floor where he soon sank into his shadow before vanishing.
That left only the badly injured Morgana. The not-cat tried getting up, but his body felt like it was on fire. Threshold, that bastard, had left a lasting impression on him. His ears picked up the sounds of battle. It was growing fainter by the second, but he knew it was happening.
"Some Phantom Thief I am," Morgana groaned out. "I finally reunited with my friend and now he's fighting a guy who wants to kill him. And what am I doing? Lying on the floor looking pathetic while licking my wounds. Though I guess it's a good thing I was able to get a few hits in before ending up in this pathetic state."
Morgana chuckled as he recalled the frantic assassin trying to get him off. But it felt hollow as it only delayed the inevitable. While Ren had suddenly developed powers, which began feeling like Persona power, he could tell that Threshold had plenty of experience in using his own power. It will be like stomping on a baby.
"He's not going to last long," Morgana growled out as he stood up, ignoring the screaming injuries. "I don't care if I'm useless in this form. Or even a cat! I'm not going to fail this time!"
"Well spoken, mi amigo."
Morgana felt a throbbing in his head. He hissed in pain as he struggled to stay standing. He never experienced this feeling before, but he knew his fellow thieves had upon awakening. What was going on with him?
"Though your body may be small, your mind and your courage are a different story," the voice continued. "As you, a pupil, are ready I, a master, have appeared. I am thou, thou art I… Take up thy sword and thy mask and leave your mark of justice!"
Finally, Morgana cried out as his body burst into blue flames, casting the ruined room in an azure glow. Slowly, the burning cat's form began to change.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
High in the cloudy evening sky, a battle between superhumans is taking place. Every now and then, there would be a flash of lightning that would be followed by thunder. It was a miracle none of them were struck by lightning.
Threshold flew through the air as rain pelting against him and stained his suit with water. Pursuing him from behind is his target, black shadowy wings flapping in the air. It appeared that the role of assassin and target had been switched.
"Take this!" Threshold cried out as he fired a blast of telekinetic energy. Ren immediately stopped in mid-air and folded his wings in front of him. The blast hit the dark wings and disappeared. Seeing the danger had passed, Ren unfolded his wings and resumed flying.
"You're kidding!" Threshold grunted as he resumed his own flight. Ren held out his hand where wisps of shadow gathered before forming into a handgun. Taking aim, Ren began firing at the assassin in front of him. Threshold was only able to survive further injury by deflecting the bullets with his telekinesis.
"This guy is just full of surprises," Threshold muttered as he felt the cuts on his chest.
Ren had taken them through Threshold's shadow and out the one of a nearby lamppost. From there, he took them to the sky where Threshold broke free of his grip. Using his telekinesis, he flew at the leader of the Phantom Thieves. But he learned the hard way that the wings aren't just for show. The edges of the feathers were sharper than knives, which he easily demonstrated when he sliced through his staff. Granted, it was made of wood, but still, he didn't want to see what those talons could do against human flesh.
Letting the two halves of his staff fall to earth, The assassin tried to keep his distance and pick him off from afar. But as it turned out, Ren could attack him from a distance thanks to his shadow gun. For Ren, it was easy to assemble due to having assembled and disassembled so many replica weapons he purchased from Untouchable Airsoft's. He stayed behind him so that there would be less air resistance for his shadow bullets. When he got close enough, he spun him around a few times before letting him go.
Threshold tumbled in the air before his body recovered its equilibrium. His vision was blurring from the vertigo. He recovered just in time to see Ren diving towards him, talons outstretched for him.
"Time to put an end to this," Threshold said as he pressed a finger to his temple. Just before he reached the assassin, Ren's head began to throb in pain. Ren clutched his head in agony as he crashed into Threshold. Both tumbled down to earth.
Several seconds before crashing, Ren managed to regain his focus. Pinning his arms at his sides and locking his legs straight, he dove straight and fast. He was lucky that he went for triple fusion that included Avian, the power he took from Talon. Not only does this power grant him peripheral vision, but it also sharpens his vision to the point where he can see eight times as far as normal humans can.
This was also how Ren could pick out a shadow from afar and dive into it with incredible accuracy. Out of the shadow of a building, Ren reemerged with his feet skidding against the ground before stopping. Ren was breathing heavily before falling to one knee. The wings on his back evaporated as his shadow form vanished, revealing his phantom suit to the world.
"It hurts even worse now," Ren gritted his teeth. It was like a hammer was pounding on the inside of his skull! "What is going on?"
Looking up, he was surprised to see that he landed in front of Leblanc. It was almost poetic in a way. Like it was always calling him back home. The rain seemed to be falling harder now. Then, a slow clapping broke him out of his thoughts. Sucking up the pain, he watched as Threshold slowly approached him.
"Bravo! I'm surprised you managed to survive my telepathic attack," Threshold said as he walked towards Ren. "You've completely surpassed my expectations. You've made it worth it by taking your life. It's unfortunate that you're the first Phantom Thief that has to die tonight. I would've preferred to work our way up from the weakest to the strongest and end you last, but hey what can you do?"
Ren's eyes widened at that. 'Wait, the first? That means they haven't found the others yet!' he thought.
"Maybe so, but it's only a matter of time before we find them." Threshold interrupted Ren's train of thought, causing him to widen his eyes. Threshold was still reading his mind.
"Speaking off, while you are still alive, let's see where we can find your other friends!" Threshold yelled as he prepared to launch another psychic attack. However, Ren was prepared for it this time and just as Threshold struck, Ren put his prior mental training to the test to try and block the assailant out.
He cried out in pain, which was drowned out by the sound of thunder above him. It felt like Threshold was putting a drill through his brain!
"Not bad, but not good enough," Threshold yelled as he probed in deeper.
Ren grits his teeth as he tries to resist. Though with Threshold's experience, he was still able to slowly probe through Joker's mind as he chipped away at his defences. As this happened, Joker did his best to avoid thinking of his friends.
"Think you are so tough, don't you?!" Threshold grunted as his probing of Ren's mind took more effort than he expected. "But it's only a matter of time before I get what I want. Once that happens, I will take great joy putting you six feet under."
Unfortunately, for Ren, Threshold's words caused an opening in his mental defences. One that the assassin was more than eager to exploit. Though he tried his best to not think of his friends, Threshold's comment about his inevitable death caused him to unconsciously recall a certain memory. A memory of a certain red-haired Phantom Thief who wore an outfit similar to his own flying through the air with beautiful, acrobatic grace.
"Well, well looks like we've got our first Phantom Thief!" Threshold said causing Ren to silently curse while trying to maintain his mental defenses. "And man, she's quite the looker. Maybe once I finish getting what I need from you I think I'll pay her a special visit."
Unknown to Threshold, his words caused Ren's whole body to freeze up. As Ren's head was looking to the ground, his eyes shrunk to the size of pinpricks and a certain feeling was bubbling up from deep inside him.
However, Threshold's cockiness caused him to overlook this as he chose to continue taunting Ren. "I bet she's a hell of a screamer."
And that was the last straw that caused the feeling within Ren to explode.
"Well anyways, back to... GACK!?" And just like that Threshold's concentration and cockiness vanished as he felt a tight grip around his throat and soon found himself hovering in the air.
It took him a moment to process what happened. As he struggled for air he watched with shock as a red spectral arm with black fingers and claws suddenly materialized around his neck. Blue flames licked the length of the limb which seemed to originate over Amamiya, who slowly but surely was getting back up.
"You touch her... you touch any of them..." Ren spoke with a somewhat distorted voice as every word from his mouth sent a chill down Threshold's spine.
Finally, Ren got back on his feet and when he lifted his head to look at Threshold, the assassin felt his blood run cold as he felt overwhelming fear explode through every fibre of his being as he stared at the horrific sight in front of him.
Half of Ren's face was covered in blue flames that appeared to be trying to take on the form of a black mask with red glowing eyes, while the other half of his face showed a bloodshot golden eye with blood flowing down like a tear. But the one thing that really put him on edge was the fact that despite the demonic-looking appearance and apparent pain he was in, Ren had an insane-looking smile plastered on his face.
"And I'll fucking kill you!" Ren finally snarled out as gave off a crazy laugh that somehow terrified Threshold even more.
Then without warning, just as suddenly as they appeared, the arm and blue flames vanished, causing Threshold to fall to the floor, while Ren collapsed to his hands and knees.
Ren panted heavily with blood dripping from his face to the ground, while Threshold desperately got to his feet.
'What the hell was that? That wasn't normal even for a metahuman?!... What the hell is he?!' Threshold mentally cried out as he prepared to fire another telepathic attack. Only this time his goal was focused more on ending Ren than gathering info. 'Forget playing around! I need to take this guy out now! If I don't end him now, he'll become trouble for us later on!'
"Looks like whatever gambit you tried to pull backfired on you kid. And don't think you'll be getting another chance, 'cause I am taking you out right here and now. So any last words?" Threshold asked while trying very hard to maintain a professional facade. Whatever that was had really shaken him to his core.
Ren grunted, before noticing something out of the corner of his eye.
"Just one thing," Ren grunts as he wipes the blood on his face with his sleeve before cracking a smile. "You might want to get those cuts treated. If my friend doesn't kill you, the blood poisoning will."
Ren threw back his head and laughed once again. Threshold became still. Absolutely still. That laughter was roaring in his ears. The assassin wanted him to be fearing for his life. Not laughing! Pure anger boiled as blood rushed through his head.
"You asked for it," Threshold hissed between his teeth. Nobody laughs at him and gets away with it. Anyone who does will find their heads reduced to smaller pieces of flesh, blood, and bone.
Just before he could make his head explode, something struck his fingers. Threshold cried out in pain and stumbled forward. His fingers were throbbing, and a noticeable bruise began to form. What struck him was a small steel ball that rolled on the ground.
Out of the corner of his eye, a small blur sped past him. Threshold whipped his head around but didn't see what it was. Then, another bead struck him in the back of his head. He ignored the blossoming pain and spun back around, trying to see who struck him. But once again, there was nothing there.
"Where are you?" Threshold demanded. He tried to find the culprit with his mind, but he couldn't find anyone.
"There are only several people who get to insult the leader of the Phantom Thieves, buddy," a familiar voice growled. It was one that Ren recognized, and so he couldn't help but smirk. "And you aren't one of them!"
"Show yourself!" Threshold demanded out loud.
"If you insist!"
High above Threshold, a small shadow leaped off the top of the café. The shadow became larger and vehicular looking. Its shadow was cast over Threshold, noticeable only by the dim light. The assassin looked up just in time to see a black Citroën H Van fall on top of him.
Ren watched in stunned silence as the van disappeared in a puff of smoke. Standing on top of Threshold is Morgana in his metaverse form, a slingshot sticking out of his pocket. Big blue eyes glared at the assassin beneath him. There was a noticeable bump on his head as Morgana popped out a claw and scratched a Z on his neck.
"Here's a tip," Morgana said as he hopped off the assassin. "When you're playing Tycoon, never show your hand."
"Morgana!" Ren called out as he slowly walked towards his friend. Morgana hopped over to meet him.
"I've seen plenty of manga to know that he needs concentration to use his powers effectively. Not to mention that due to my unique existence, his telepathy can't detect me," Morgana explained, refusing to call himself a cat. "Anyway, it's good to see you safe Ren."
"Likewise, Morgana," Ren greeted with a grin, looking over his metaverse form. "I see you've gone through the same process as me."
"I noticed," Morgana said, looking at himself. "It feels like our powers have somehow managed to manifest in the real world. What is going on and where were you?"
"Believe me, it's a long story," Ren said, looking at himself. His eyes found the slingshot sticking out of the feline thief's belt. Morgana seemed to notice this.
""Oh, this?" Morgana held up the slingshot. "I found this in a duffel bag next to our leftover infiltration tools. Looks like they came in handy."
"Indeed," Ren said, looking at Threshold. "Is he dead?"
"Nope," Morgana shook his head. "One thing that a gentleman thief never does is kill. I made sure of that. Still, you want to take his pulse?"
"I'll trust your judgement," Ren said. "But just in case he wakes up…"
He held out his hand. Instantly, blue flames leaped out of Threshold's body and onto his waiting hand. The flames travelled up his arm and to his mask, before they died out, signaling the process was complete. He had once again acquired a new power.
"Neat," Morgana whistled. "Is that your new ability?"
"I wouldn't call Wildcard new. You can say that it works the same as acquiring a new Persona," Ren said before recalling Threshold's words regarding him being the first to die. "Morgana, I heard him say that…"
"You were the first Phantom Thief they planned to kill tonight? Yeah, I know. I was listening," Morgana said with a serious expression on his face. "That means that the others are in danger! We have to warn them!"
Ren quickly reached into his pocket to pull out his phone only to realize he didn't have it anymore. N.O.W.H.E.R.E. must've taken it away when he was kidnapped.
"Damn it! I don't have my phone!"
"Then we'd better do this the old-fashioned way!" Morgana declared. Before they could do anything else, a voice spoke up.
"You won't save them."
The Phantom Thieves looked down to see Threshold's eye glaring at them. It seemed that he was able to use his telekinesis to cushion Morgana's weight. He had propped himself on one arm. The two of them took a step back with Morgana readying his slingshot.
"There is nothing you can do to stop us," Threshold continued, stray bits of rubble rising. "There is nowhere you can hide where we won't find you. My teammates will find the rest of you Phantom Thieves and end them. And when I get my strength back, I will finish what I've started. I will—"
It was at that moment that he was struck with an uppercut by a red-gloved fist coming out of a shadow on the ground, knocking him out. Ren retracted his harm from the shadow on the wall he was standing close to.
"That should keep him down for a while," Ren said. "Now, first we'll… we'll…"
Ren couldn't say anything else as he fell to his knees and on his hands. His vision swam in front of him. His headache was becoming unbearable.
"Ren!" Morgana exclaimed, his face filled with concern. "You okay?"
"Not quite," Ren said. "My head feels like it's splitting…I feel so…exhausted…"
"Exhaustion…" Morgana muttered. Then something clicked. "Ren! Can you change out of your form?"
"Change…?" Ren asked. "I think I can…but…"
"Do it now!" Morgana yelled. "Try letting it go! Remember our meditation training!"
Ren nodded, then took a deep breath and cleared his mind. Then his form became enveloped in blue flames. It lasted for a few seconds before they vanished. He is back in his casual clothing which had become filthy and torn during his time in the crucible. The moment he called off his transformation, the pain in his head was all but lifted. He could think clearly now that the pain was slowly fading away.
"Aww man," Morgana exclaimed with concern when he saw the state that the leader of the Phantom Thieves was in. "What in the world happened to you?"
"Like I said, Morgana," Ren breathed. "It's a long story."
"Ren, how's your head?" Morgana asked.
"The pain is gone…" Ren said.
"It's just as I thought. Your psyche isn't used to your new powers and it's taking its toll," Morgana states. "The headaches were the result of prolonged use. How long have you been in this form?"
"I don't know," Ren said in all honesty. "I've been in this form traveling for a few hours from place to place several times I think."
Morgana's jaw hit the ground.
"It's a sheer miracle that you were able to last that long," Morgana said. "Any further and you would've been knocked unconscious. You're going to need time to recover."
"Time is a luxury we don't have Morgana," Ren snapped as he got up. Despite stumbling a bit, he managed to stand straight up. "You heard Threshold. Our friends are in danger."
"Urgh! Yeah, you're right! We need to find them and fast!" Morgana declared. "I've been staying with Futaba ever since you vanished, Ren. They should still be somewhere in Tokyo! A-And Ryuji is over at the movies in Shibuya right now!"
"Then we know what we have to do," Ren said as they began to run through the streets of Shibuya, away from Leblanc. "While I'm at it, I have to grab a new phone. Mine was stolen when I was captured. Considering that this is an emergency, I think we can get away with swiping phones! Once we find the others, we'll rendezvous at Shujin Academy."
"Why there?" Morgana yelled while they were running.
"It's a location we're all familiar with and because the café is compromised," Ren yelled back. "Not to mention the boss would kill us if it's destroyed in the crossfire!"
"Good point," Morgana gulped at the thought of a furious Sojiro Sakura. Together, the Thieves ran through the stormy evening, unheeding to the rain, desperate to save their friends.
They can only hope that they will make it in time.
Aaaaaand... There we go! The first chapter where one of The Deviants appears is officially finished! Crossovernaru had really helped me out with this one, especially with involving Takuto Maruki, Kuon Ichinose, and Sophia in it, the flashback involving the conversation between The Light and Red X in Greater Bialya, as well as Joker's persona, Arsène, being partially summoned. Oh, yeah! Crossovernaru is definitely a potential co-writer!
Just to let you all know, I'm not really gonna go into detail regarding Ren's powers like in the original. Or, at least not yet.
Anyways, I'm sure you all remember that in the original of I Am The Prophet's, before Morgana, Ryuji was the first to encounter one of the Deviants, bliss, as well as awaken. Well, I'm shaking things up here by making Morgana be the first, as well as being reunited with Joker alone. Don't worry, Ryuji is up next! And as a little spoiler, the next chapter will be called... "Pirating a Movie"! Kay! Catch y'all later!