Author's Notes

In future chapters, there will be characters speaking multiple languages. When this happens, a character's dialogue will be written in Bold if it is in a different language than what the Point-of-View character speaks. Also, I just want to lightly touch upon ratings. For now, I shall stick to a T rating. However, if things heat up in terms of mature content - whether it be graphic violence, drug abuse or sexual content - the rating will be bumped up to M accordingly. I hope you enjoy this little story of mine.

"What are you bringin' us here for?"

Ryuji looked annoyed, his brow furrowed as he stared at his phone.

Shibuya station was as busy as always, especially with the afterschool rush hour. Salarymen, students and general public flitted past, going about their daily lives. Morgana gave him a glance with a knowing smirk. Or at least, as much of a smirk as a cat could give. "Just do as I told you."

The bleach blond boy sighed. Flicking through his phone he pulled up a web page. "Alright. I pulled up the Phantom Aficionado Website. Now what?"

Lynn - a recent transfer student and officially appointed leader of the Phantom Thieves - felt her attention begin to wane.

A yawn slipped through her lips before she had the chance to stifle it. Ever since the run in with that Makoto girl earlier, the transfer student had felt oddly drained. Putting up the front of the stoic, hardassed criminal high-schooler took a lot out of her. Especially when it came to doing it to people who clearly saw through the facade.

Worse still, some of the things Makoto had said really rubbed Lynn the wrong way.

Even if Makoto didn't fully mean it, she still implied a lot of things. Enough for Lynn to want to punch the girl.

Still, now that there was time to decompress from the encounter, Lynn really couldn't blame Niijima. Principal Kobayakawa seemed to have her by the metaphorical balls on something. It was enough to force her into interrogating students for no good reason.

She gave a sidelong glance towards Shiho who seemed equally put out. The ex-volleyball starter had taken more interest in people watching than the current topic of conversation. Ever since the group had left school for the day, she had been a lot quieter than usual.

The sight alone was enough to get Lynn wound up again. Whatever Kobayakawa was up to, it just wasn't right belittling Shiho, Ann and the rest of the Volleyball team's struggles. It was clear the toad of a man was trying to cover the whole thing up. Everyone knew it. But hardly anyone even cared to say anything about it.

It made one wonder just how rotten Shujin Academy actually was. For a prep school, it really wasn't a safe place for teenagers.

The transfer student dragged her mind back to the present, but only half listened to the conversation.

"Look for a post with a full name in it." Morgana instructed.

"I already said; there's no info on any big shot. Don't you remember?" Ryuji's tone was bordering on anger. He then lightly tapped the wall with the back of his head, his expression melting into something akin to concern. "But man… people really do post people's full names on here. That's some scary shit."

"It's doxxing and it's illegal. I'm surprised the Phan Site's getting away with it." Lynn frowned as she spoke. Ryuji looked up and nodded. "It feels kind'a strange getting our info like this."

"You're tellin' me."

"Remind me to give Mishima an earful tomorrow."

"'He won't listen to what I say…' ugh, no. There's no name on this one. 'The boy I like doesn't like me b-' I'm not even going to finish that one. 'I was scammed out of some money…' ugh… no name either." Ann began to read off a few posts, most of which were pretty mundane or useless. "'Someone's bad mouthing me on an internet chatroom..' huh, this one has a name."

Morgana shook his head. "No, no. Ignore those. Aren't there any posts with bigger issues?"

Ann frowned as her scrolling increased intensity.

Meanwhile, Shiho's people watching seemed to have drawn her deeper in.

Her eyes lazily followed several people to and fro. Lynn then noticed her finger tapping against her thigh with a rhythmic motion, occasionally adding a finger to the motion. The transfer student gave her a gentle nudge, getting her attention. "You ok, Shiho?" Lynn spoke quietly so as to not disturb the others.

"Hm? Oh… yeah. I'm fine, just keeping a lookout." She replied with a half smile, her gaze still firmly on the passersby. "I noticed a weird looking boy staring at Ann a few minutes ago so I decided to keep count of people looking our way."

Lynn's eyebrow perked up. "So that's the tapping?"

She nodded.

Shiho may have joined the Phantom Thieves, but her powers had yet to fully awaken. To put it bluntly, the ex-athlete was weak. Though it was understandable. The trauma she still struggled with had - according to Morgana - built up some sort of blockage. Any attempt to summon her Persona was met with extreme mental backlash.

At the very least, she could shoot. For now, that had to be enough.

"What about this one? 'I don't know what to do about my ex-boyfriend who is stalking me. His name is Natsuhiko Nakanohara.' It… says he's a teller at city hall." Ann brought both Shiho and Lynn's attention back with that one. It certainly had a sort of resonance with the group.

Ryuji looked up from his seat on the ground. He smirked. "A government worker is stalkin' someone? Damn." It almost seemed as though Ryuji found it amusing.

Next it was Morgana's turn to pipe in. He gave an approving nod. "That should be a suitable target. Now, punch his name into the meta-nav."

"We're just jumpin' straight into another palace? Hah! Fine by me!" Ryuji jumped up, eager to get into the action. Though Ann gave a scowl, curbing his enthusiasm immediately.

"What happened to the whole 'Unanimous Decision' rule?" Her face softened as she looked at both Shiho and Lynn. "You two have been pretty quiet. What do you guys think?"

Taking a moment to kick her brain back into gear, Lynn gave the crew a studious glance. Everyone clearly needed to blow off some steam for various reasons. If they could help someone in the process, that was nothing but good times all around. "I think we should go. Maybe not as gung-ho as Ryuji wants to be, but it'll be good for us while we look for a bigger target."

"Yeah, I agree. I want to try fighting with Boudica again. I feel like today's the day." Shiho gave a nod and allowed herself to grow a small bud of determination. "The four of you were so cool during the fight with His Shadow. It was almost like you and your Personas were all in perfect sync. Though… I probably could have done without Captain Kidd's terrible puns…"

"He didn't get your funny bone? Too bad." Lynn spoke with a grin wider than what was probably possible. Though Shiho's glare of complete disapproval was enough to bore into her soul. "Ahem. Sorry. Anyway, it looks like we're heading in. What's next?"

Ryuji's prior enthusiasm came swarming back at full force. "That's what I'm talkin' about!" He gave a fist pump. "So, all we need is the name and location, right?"

"Actually, we don't need a location this time." Morgana shook his head. Though the cat seemed irritated by Ryuji's eagerness, Lynn could tell he was secretly happy. Perhaps it was the flicking of his tail. "The keyword this time is 'Mementos.'" The name was wholly unfamiliar. "It should work! I… think."

"That again… ugh." Shaking his head, Ryuji did as told and tapped in the name. Immediately, the nav beeped confirmation in its usual monotonous voice. The four jumped in surprise. "We got a hit!? Well damn!"

Without even taking a moment to think, Ryuji activated the nav. Lynn began to lunge for Ryuji's phone. "Wait, you idiot! What about our gear?" Though it was too late.

Reality began to warp in the now familiar fashion. Within a matter of seconds, the once crowded and bustling plaza was now completely deserted. "Whoa! Everyone disappeared…" Ann spoke, looking around in shock. "It… kind'a feels like I'm walking on air."

"The breeze has gone too. What's that stagnant smell?" Lynn's nose twitched. Stagnant wasn't really the correct word. Muggy. The still air almost felt damp.

Ryuji looked at Morgana. "Is this that Nakanohara guy's Palace?"

The cat chuckled, rising to his feet.

Normally, when entering the Metaverse, he became a bipedal mascot-like creature. This time he had retained his regular feline form. Similarly, each of the Phantom Thieves hadn't assumed their alter egos either.

Morgana turned to face the escalators leading down into Shibuya station.

"You're half right, but also half wrong. This is a type of Palace, but it's special." As the cat spoke, Lynn had to admit she was getting a little lost. "Come on. The Shadows here all lurk underground. I don't really know why… but it seems like they're all drawn to something." Morgana leapt from his perch and dashed for the escalators.

Each of the Thieves gasped, scrambling to follow.

Once the group descended the stairs, the air grew noticeably heavier.

Lynn found it hard to breathe. Harder than when they were outside. Each step down into the station felt as though she was stepping deeper into thick oil.

Finally stepping foot on the last step prompted each of the Phantom Thieves to immediately transform in the usual burst of blue flame.

As if a fog had cleared, it was no longer a chore to breathe and the muggy stench had dissipated. A strange sense of relief washed over Lynn as she felt the presence of Arsene within the domino mask. The protection afforded by the power of Persona had come to the rescue.

"What… is this place?" Ryuji asked with a not-to-subtle tone of awe in his voice.

What was once a sleek, clean subway terminal bustling with activity and the sound of everyday life was now an empty and dirty platform. Whites and blues replaced by blacks and reds. Signage had also been replaced by creepy vines crawling along the walls.

Although the protection granted by their Personas was active, the place still felt wholly unwelcoming.

"This is Mementos! A unique kind of Palace. Putting it simply… it's everyone's Palace." Morgana - now standing on two feet - patted his chest proudly as he explained. Though the blank stares he received in response was enough to deflate any sort of built up bravado. "You know how the Metaverse is built from the physical manifestations of a person's cognition?" Everyone nodded. "Well, Palaces like the one Kamoshida had only grow from especially distorted desires. Basically, a Palace dedicated to a specific person is somewhat of an anomaly."

"I still don't get it…" Ryuji moaned, slouching in irritation.

"I… think what Mona's trying to say is that this place is a collective cognition of the general public. Like… hmm…" Lynn thought for a moment trying to come up with an easily understandable analogue. "I guess think of it… like a public server in an MMORPG?" It wasn't perfect, but at least Ryuji had seemingly caught on. Even if it was only superficially

"Joker's right. The man you found, Nakanohara, doesn't have a distorted enough desire to form a Palace of his own. However, if we leave him as is for long enough, it will develop and grow into a full blown Palace."

"Huh…"

Shiho's sudden exhale caught everyone's attention. The girl had been in deep thought throughout the whole conversation. She hadn't even noticed the donning of her Thief attire. The fur lined overcoat mixed with leather armour straight out of a fantasy novel suited her a little too well. That was including the bear-head hood that served as a mask.

"What's up Shi- uh… Hunter?" Ann asked, stuttering over the names. Her own outfit acted in stark contrast. Still leather, yet Lynn wouldn't call it very protective.

"So… if Palaces develop from this place, it's kind of like a tree bearing fruit."

"Ooooooh! I get it now!" Ryuji had surprisingly straightened his posture. His blank, confused stare morphing into one of clarity. "Goin' by that logic, the cognition of the general public is kind'a like soil? With Mementos' roots diggin' in and suckin' up whatever trees suck up?"

Each of the Thieves looked on in surprise. "That's… actually a pretty good way of looking at it." Morgana couldn't help but let a hint of pride seep through as he spoke.

"That was way easier to understand than the two of you." Ryuji gave a disapproving glance at Lynn and Morgana. A few seconds lingered as the group attempted to comprehend what had just been said. Eventually, Ryuji - sensing the awkwardness - kicked the group back on topic. "Anyway, what's next?"

"We head down and look for Nakanohara. Just follow my lead and you'll be fine." Morgana explained, his signature mild condescension back in full swing. "The nav says his Shadow isn't very deep so it should be pretty easy to find him."

"It'd be easier if we came with our gear." Lynn groaned, her gaze boring into Ryuji's very existence. Promptly, he began to avert his eyes and whistle innocently. Thankfully, at that, Morgana chuckled.

"Taken care of!" The cat pulled out a yellow sack from what seemed like nowhere. The act brought about a dull ache at the back of each of the thieves' skulls. Then, one by one, he pulled each piece of Phantom Thief weaponry out from within its depths, laying them out neatly on the ground.

"Damn, Mona! So you can be useful!"

"S-shut up, Skull! It's you who's the useless one!"

As the two fell into a bickering match that had become somewhat routine at this point, Lynn divvied up the gear, shaking her head in slight affection.

For Shiho, a Farsan brand Thompson G2 Contender. For Ann, a whip and a Tokyo Marui brand MAC-10.

And for Lynn herself, she sheathed the karambit style knife and gave the modified Umarex Beretta M9 a quick inspection. Iwai knew his stuff when it came to airsoft weapons. Granted, he had no clue about the effect the Metaverse had on them.

She only wished she had her custom pistol from back home. She wasn't the Silver Demon without it.

Satisfied, she holstered the pistol and turned back to Ryuji and Morgana. "Hey! Get your heads out of your arses and gear up! We've got a job to do, damn it!"

The sudden shift in demeanour immediately snapped the two out of their little spat. By now, they were used to the Joker alter ego - and the authoritative Drill Sergeant tone that came with it - but it still set fear into their hearts. Who knew someone so unassuming would have such a commanding voice.

"Y-yes ma'am!" They each stuttered in unison, grabbing their own weapons of choice.

Shotguns were never really Lynn's thing but even she had to admit the heavily customised Golden Eagle brand Remington M1887 shotgun was pretty awesome. Even if the only reason Ryuji picked it was because it was in Terminator. As for Morgana, Lynn had next to no clue about slingshots. Neither did Iwai. So she had just purchased whatever Iwai thought was half decent at a first glance on google.

Something she felt slightly guilty about. At least Morgana seemed satisfied.

"Skull, on me. I want this operation done quickly, efficiently and god damned safely!" Lynn barked orders and without issue, the group followed with little hesitation. With Ryuji and Lynn taking point, Shiho and Ann covering the rear, the group moved forward. Everyone, save a certain black cat.

"Uh… Joker, I have a better idea. Mementos is huge so getting around isn't all that easy on foot." Morgana explained as they entered Mementos proper. Sure enough, the tunnel leading deeper in was not what Lynn would call convenient. She gave Mona a glance, gesturing to him to continue. "Well… it'll be easier to show you."

The cat practically skipped over to a larger open portion of the platform. Taking a stance straight out of a Super Sentai show, Morgana beamed in delight. "TRANSFOOOORM!" He bellowed, leaping into the air. In an oddly cartoonish puff of smoke, what landed wasn't a cat but a…

"Bus…? You can… turn into a bus? Like… a driving motor vehicle that uses combustion to power lateral movement…?" Lynn stammered, completely flummoxed at what she had just witnessed. The bus in question almost seemed to jump in excitement, its headlights - which presumably acted as eyes - flashed for a second.

"Cool right!?"

"It's certainly… unexpected." Ann quipped. She looked just as bewildered as everyone else. "How is this possible?"

"I don't know. Apparently a cat turning into a bus is a common cognition." The bus - or rather Mona - rocked from side to side in an attempt to shrug. Lynn's brain had thoroughly jammed itself trying to comprehend. Mona's complete lack of explanation didn't help either. "Anyway, hop in!"

The group looked at each other, uncertainty flowing thicker than molasses between them. Eventually, they all silently stepped into the surprisingly spacious vehicle. The back seats to be specific. A fact that Mona groaned at. "Alright, Mona. Onward, I guess!" Ann ordered as though she was trying to ride a horse. Though nothing happened. "Mona?"

"One of you idiots needs to drive me!"

"... Snrk…" Shiho stifled her brewing giggle and tried stopping it from developing into full blown laughter. "Why did that make so much damn sense…?" She managed to squeeze out the question before the floodgates blasted open. She finally burst into a teary laughter, clutching her stomach. "He has a steering wheel and everything! Oh god, this is so weird!"

It seemed Shiho's laughter was contagious as each of the Thieves began to lose their composure. Mona evidently didn't find it funny. He merely mewled in irritation. Eventually, Lynn composed herself enough to get out from the back and enter into the driver's seat.

"Have you ever driven before, Joker?"

"I had a few lessons back when I lived in the UK. Although that was a right-hand-drive, second-hand hatchback." She looked around nervously, eventually discovering how to turn Mona on. Though she wished she could have thought of a better way to phrase that.

The cat-bus' engine purred to life as Mona himself also purred in what sounded like pleasure. "... I'm going to need a bleach shower after this." She muttered under her breath.

With a first tentative step of the accelerator, Morgana lurched forward.

Then, as if a switch had flipped, Joker stepped down, hard.

"RRREEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOWWW!" Morgana all but screeched as he was suddenly thrown into full acceleration down the dark tunnel. A sentiment shared by the rest of the thieves, who had taken to clinging to their seats for dear life.

"WHY DON'T YOU HAVE ANY SEATBELTS, MONA!?"

"Joker…" Ryuji muttered. "I vote you never touch the driver's seat ag- hrghk!" The bleach blond interrupted himself as he lost his lunch. The poor boy had all but demanded Joker stop so that he could get out and do exactly what he had just done. He leant with an arm bracing against the wall as he tried his best to breathe.

"In my defence… I never said I was good at driving." Lynn tried her best to comfort her friend, patting his back, but her comment only earned a baleful glare.

Meanwhile, Morgana had transformed back into his usual self and had passed out from the shock. Shiho was tending to him. Joker grimaced. Perhaps a warning would have avoided all this, but Arsene had urged her on. From within her mask, she could feel him cackle in amusement.

"Hey, uh… not to be that girl but… aren't we a little in the open here?" Ann had taken to standing watch. She looked up and down the tunnel with enough tension to slice with a knife. True enough, the group was smack dab in the middle of one of many tunnels.

They had already encountered a few Shadows so far - granted they weren't all that strong. More could have been on their way already.

"Ok." Lynn straightened up, surveying their options. "Anyone else want to give driving a go?" Everyone fell silent. She let a sigh spill and sagged her shoulders. She was slowly giving up until Shiho spoke up.

"I've never driven a car before, but I do have my scooter licence. Maybe I could give it a shot?"

And with that, the Thieves were back on the road - or rather, back on the tracks - once again. Only this time, it was at a much more comfortable speed. Pouting, Lynn stared out of the front passenger seat window. By now, the ominous red glow of distant platforms had become somewhat familiar.

As they drove, she gave a little more thought into Mementos as a whole. "Hey Mona, I've been thinking. You mentioned that Mementos is the manifestation of the general public, right?" The cat-bus gave his acknowledgement. "So… does that mean the entire human population of the whole world?"

Morgana thought for a moment. "That's a good question." He fell silent for a moment longer as they drove. "I don't think so. Something like that would be impossible."

"That makes sense." Ann nodded. "There are tons of different cultures around the world. I doubt if they all got mixed together it'd make a subway."

"Makes you think what other Mementos' would look like. Hm… Mementai?" Lynn began to chuckle, her mind going back to her old home. "I bet the UK Mementos is all football fields and pubs." Judging by the silence in response to her quip, Lynn thought it best to drop that line of comedy. After all, the only other Thief to have left Japan was Ann, and that was to the States.

"I wonder if we could go into another country's Mementos from our hideout. Maybe we could go international." Even if Ann was likely only joking, the thought alone was quite intriguing. After all, they had already discovered they didn't need to physically be at the target location to enter the Metaverse.

Though that was an experiment for another time.

"Anyway, are we getting any closer?" Lynn did her best to refocus the group. They had begun to encounter Shadows a lot less frequently now. Something that was bugging the leader of the thieves to no end.

Ryuji looked at the nav. His lip twitched slightly. "Should be just around the next few corners."

Of course, the minute Shiho took the next turn, she slammed on the brakes, much to Morgana's discomfort.

"What is it? A Shadow?" Ann had apparently been caught off guard as the sudden stop launched her forward. Barely stopping her face from smacking the back of the driver's seat, she looked out of the window. Though what she saw definitely wasn't a Shadow. At least, not one she had ever seen before.

"Is that… a person?"

The figure was definitely humanoid, though was a little too far away to tell any more than that. It stood stock still for a few moments. Then something else caught the Thieves' attention. There was another figure, this one lying down on the ground, completely unmoving. The standing figure then turned to face them.

All the group could see in the darkness was four glowing red lights near where the head should have been. It then levelled something at the group, as if it were pointing something. Lynn's eyes grew wide with sudden panic. "Get down! You too, Mona!" She yelled before diving out of the vehicle and laying prone.

Then, all hell broke out as gunfire began to ring down the tunnel.