The Phantom Justice (Persona 5 Royal & Strikers / Young Justice: Outsiders)
Chapter 2: Press Start to Play
Ren Amamiya opened his eyes to find himself lying down on something. Sitting up, he found himself in an all too familiar jail cell. What he is sitting on is a wooden plank with a pillow. In front of him is an unused toilet. He was dressed in a classic black and white striped prison uniform.
"It has been a while Trickster," A voice spoke.
Ren looked at the occupant sitting at the desk. He is a bizarre old man with a long nose, pointed ears and bulging, bloodshot eyes. He wore a black suit with white gloves. Ren knew for a fact that if he stood up, he will be quite tall.
"Igor…" Ren said as he walked out of the cell towards him.
"Good to see you too," A female voice spoke. "I'm not sure if we could count this reunion sad or happy."
Ren looked to the side to see a young girl with long platinum hair standing next to the desk. She wore a blue dress, and stylish matching headband with white butterfly ornaments and yellow roses. In her hands, she carried an abnormally large book entitled 'Le Grimoire', but she had not problems carrying it. Her golden eyes looked at him with a smile.
"Lavenza…"
"Welcome back to the Velvet Room," Igor said. "We weren't expecting the same guest to visit, but it appears fate has plans for us."
The Velvet Room is a place that exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. True to its name, it is always covered in blue velvet. Only those who have made a contract could enter. Once, Ren was a prisoner by a corrupt god who had taken over the place and imprisoned Igor. For good measure, he split Lavenza into the amnesiac twin Caroline and Justine. Of course, Ren and his friends beat him a while back and freed them from the prison. Not to mention saving the world.
"Why exactly am I even back here?" Ren asked. "I figured that last time would be… well you know, the last time we see each other."
"That was what I thought," Lavenza said. "As you know from the first time, the form of the Velvet Room depends on the persons heart. Once again, you are a prisoner of fate. Your future is being held captive once again. Something is conspiring and attempting to fill your future with destruction."
"Again?" Ren asked.
"Yes," Lavenza nodded with regret. She turned away before looking back at him again. "The voice inside you is calling out against those evil intentions. It's calling you out to fight."
Fight what? That was what he wanted to ask, but he knew that the answer won't come easy. The residents of the Velvet Room will not divulge the answer to that question. As if to answer, Igor held a palm over the desk. In a flash of light, a deck of cards appeared. Like the room, they are blue velvet.
"Why don't we find out?" Igor asked as he shuffles the deck, taps it and sets the top three cards on the desk. "With a little fortune telling, of course. Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different…"
Igor chuckled at this. "Life itself follows the same principles, doesn't it?"
"It certainly does," Ren said with a chuckle. While Shido may have ruined his life, that incident set into motion the events that changed his life.
Igor took the card to Ren's left and flipped it over. On the card is the of a young woman surrounded by figures of an angel, a bull, an eagle and a lion.
"Hmm…" Igor looked at the card in genuine surprise. "The World. In the upright position it means completion, integration, accomplishment, and travel. Interesting…Let's see what the card that shows…"
His gloved hand reached for the next card and flipped it over. This one has a man hanging upside-down from one leg with his other leg crossing it.
"The Hanged Man. In the upright position it means sacrifice, waiting, uncertainty, lack of direction, perspective, and contemplation."
He flipped over the final card. This one showed a lightning struck tower.
"The Tower, upright again," Igor said. "This card represents sudden change, upheaval, chaos, revelation, and awakening. Interesting indeed…"
Igor looked up to Ren.
"It seems that during your journey, you will be required to make a sacrifice," Igor said. "One that must be made to avoid the disaster that has been forewarned. Not just yourself, but everyone around you."
Ren couldn't stop the surprise from coming out of him. A disaster in the future? What kind? Igor seemed to have read his thoughts.
"If the disaster isn't averted, your future may be forever lost. As such, we shall do our duty to provide assistance to you to ensure that it does not happen."
"And I will do my duty and accompany you on your journey," Lavenza said. "As I have said, all that awaits you is destruction. Will you stand to fight against that fate, and stand up against the worlds path to distortion once again? As you have done so before?"
Ren's face hardened. Did she really have to ask that? If this future is threatening his friends…his family again, then there was only one answer he could give.
"Yes."
"That's the trickster I know," Lavenza said with a smile. "The road ahead will be like that time…no, something even stronger may be waiting. However, we will always be by your side. Do not forget that."
Then, they heard a sound.
"It seems our time is up," Igor said. "We shall attend to the detail another time. Until then, farewell…"
"Until we meet again," Lavenza said. "May you have good dreams."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Hotel Markov, Markovburg, Markovia
July 25th, 2018 7:32 AM EEST
Ren woke up with a start. He sat up on a bed and felt his forehead. He is dressed in sleep wear he packed for the trip.
"Something wrong?" Morgana's voice spoke next to him. The feline was laying down on a separate pillow. "You were mumbling in your sleep all night."
"Something in my dreams," Ren said. "How are you feeling Mona?"
"Early morning!" Morgana chirped. In the darkness, he stretched, his furry behind and tail rising. "I'm rested and glad to be out of that plastic trap! Now we can start the day!"
Yesterday, they arrived in Markovia. After going through customs and getting the rental car, they drove to Markovburg to check in their hotel. Due to jetlag and night falling on them, they decided to take a rest and see the sights tomorrow. They got two rooms, one for the males the other for the girls. It's also fortunate that the hotel allowed pets under a stipend. But some of them had a sneaking suspicion that they favored cats.
Ren walked over to where he knew the curtain would be and slowly drew it back. Sunlight crept in, illuminating the darkness of their hotel room. Ryuji shared a bed with Yusuke. The blonde was snoring loudly with an arm hitting Yusuke. The latter slept peacefully despite the awkward sleeping position.
"Shall we wake them up?" Morgana asked.
"Makoto wants us down for breakfast at 8:00," Ren said. He walked over to their bed and shook them both. "Rise and shine."
"Uhh…what…?" Ryuji removed the sleeping mask and rubbed the sand out of his eyes. He blinked to a adjust his vision. "Where are we?"
"We're in Markovia, remember?"
"Oh yeah," Ryuji snapped his fingers as he remembered. Then he laid back down. "Man…I feel refreshed from all that jet lag."
"I as well," Yusuke said. "We awake to our first morning in a new world."
"Get dressed. We're going to meet the others for breakfast at the lobby."
"Oh, boy!" Ryuji jumped out of the bed, scattering the covers. He was still dressed in his travelling clothes. "Can't wait to get my hands on some Euro grub!"
After getting dressed, the four of them went down to the lobby. The rest of their group was already seated at a table eating breakfast. Their plates are laden with freshly made pancakes, pickled meats, smoked sausages, and fresh fruits. Haru's was more on fruits, bread and jam, and cheese. The boys grabbed their plates and sat on the opposite side.
"Oh wow!" Ryuji said with his mouth full. His plate has a stack of pancakes and waffles. "This food is amazing!"
"Please eat with your mouth closed," Ann scolded with disgust. But Ryuji ignored her and chowed down on his breakfast.
"This is exquisite," Yusuke praised as he eats his food like a proper gentleman. "The texture and flavor of the food is like music."
"I spoke with the staff," Haru said, drinking from a glass of milk. "Turns out, they grow their own fruits and serve them. And their milk happens to be hemp milk. It's highly nuitritious and loaded with proteins and healthy fats. In fact, it has more than other plant-based types of milk. Rice and Almond. I'm thinking of adding it to my café menu."
"That would be nice, Haru," Ren said as he snuck Morgana a sausage. The feline thief ate it up eagerly. It wasn't sushi, but it would do.
"If we're all stuffed, let's get down to business," Makoto said. She pulled out a folded map and laid it out on the table. "Thanks to the Goode Goggles, I was able to finds several sight-seeing places. Castle Markov is obviously off limits but there is the memorial, the Kings park, and several more."
"You found all of that in the Goode Goggles?" Ryuji asked. "No wonder everybody wants them!"
"Did you think the only thing they're good for is games?" Makoto asked with a frown. "I spent the whole flight studying up on Markovia for places to see. That includes foods we should try and upcoming holidays."
"So, what should be our first stop, Makoto?" Ren asked.
"That depends," Makoto said. She addressed everyone at the table. "Where would you guys like to go?"
"I would like to visit the nearest art gallery to see the artwork of Markovia firsthand," Yusuke
"I figured that is the first thing you'll ask about," Makoto pointed to a spot on the map she marked. "This right here is the Markovian National Gallery. It's opens in an hour. If we hurry, we can catch the bus."
"Sounds great! Just give me a second, I wanna grab my Goode Goggles," Ryuji said as he scarfed the last of his pancake and waffle stack.
"Maybe I should warn you, Ryuji," Ann said in concern. "The interactive games may be fun and all, but it makes you unaware of your surroundings. You could trip if you're not careful or worse. I don't mean to bring up your leg but…"
"I'll be fine," Ryuji cut her off, waving his hand. "I'm not an idiot, Ann. I just want to scroll through the games we could play tonight. There has to be a game where we don't have to run around."
"I already have mine on hand," Futaba said as she pulls hers out. "I already found some such as Magic Chess, Solitaire, etcetera. We can play on the bus."
"Sweet!" Ryuji got up from his seat. "Come on Ren! Let's get our Goode Goggles!"
"Alright, I'm game," Ren said, getting up as well. Playing games are a fun way of connecting with people. Like Ryuji, he left his back in their room, so he might as well go with him.
"Just don't take too long you two," Ann said to their backs as they exited the breakfast hall, Morgana following after them.
"Just in case you need a reality check," Mona said as they took an elevator back to their floor. When they entered their room, Ryuji went straight for his bag.
"Come on where is it?" Ryuji flipped the covers. "I had it with me last night!"
"Have you checked under the bed?" Morgana asked sarcastically. "I saw you throw your 'gift' away from it after you were done with it. Nice to see you're taking care of it."
"Oh, give me a break!" Ryuji argued with him. "I swear that I left it on the stand last night!"
Ren smiled at the bickering between Morgana and Skull. He walked to his bag and pulled out his Goode Goggles. On a slight whim, he puts them on. The startup screen flashed before his eyes and he stared at the homepage. With a swipe of his finger, he scrolled through the menu. One thing about the Goode Goggles is that they don't require a controller. Just a simple motion of the…
Wait…
Ren's finger stopped moving after he pressed the entertainment tab. One of the games that stood out drew his eye. The symbol of an eye was eerily familiar but with a different name.
"MetaLauncher?"
Ren selected the game and a page popped up. No login or home page. Just a search bar with an empty bar labeled code with the message:
You are within an arena. Please enter map code to enter.
Can it be?
"Come on!" Morgana complained. "The others are waiting on us."
"I'm trying! Aha!" Ryuji shouts in triumph as he held up his Goode Goggles. He put them on and started it up. He scrolled through the games and scoffed. "What? No, why would I want to go to a winery? I don't even like wine!"
As if listening, the Goode Goggles pinged as the bar is filled with the word 'Location'. Then, a female voice spoke.
"Map code confirmed. Beginning Navigation."
"Ryuji!" Ren cried out as his vision became distorted with red and black. As if the world is warping around them. It all felt familiar.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
When his vision cleared, Ren was no longer staring at the homepage of the Goode Goggles. Rather, he was staring into the hotel room he was sharing with Ryuji, Yusuke, and Morgana. But what he just saw now wasn't his imagination.
"What just happened. Ren, is something—holy shit!"
Ren turned around at the sound of Ryuji's shout. His friends' attire had changed drastically. He now wore a black jacket with elbow pads and what appears to be a metal vertebral column attached to its back, pants with knee pads and a double-sided holster belt with ammo on each side, a red ascot, combat boots, a pair of yellow gloves with metal knuckle protectors and a skull mask. His brown eyes are wide in surprise at his clothes.
"Ryuji?" Ren asked him. "Why do you look like that?"
"I can ask you the same thing bro," Ryuji said, pointing at him.
Ren looked down at himself. Instead of his normal clothes, he wore a black ankle-length tailcoat, a high-necked waistcoat with gold accents, black pants, brown-black winklepickers and a pair of red gloves. When he felt his face, he felt a black and white, birdlike domino mask instead of the Goode Goggles he was wearing.
They were wearing their Phantom Thief attire. Their symbols of rebellion. Which could only mean…
"Is it just me, or am I getting a sense of Déjà vu?"
"That's because it's more than Déjà vu," Morgana answered. The two of them looked down at Morgana, whose form is changed. What was once a house cat is now an anthropomorphic and biped tuxedo cat-like creature with a large spheroidal head. His fur is predominantly black, except on his limbs and tail which appear white. The bottom front half of his face or his mouth is also white. Morgana wears a mask that covers much of his face with elliptic eyes consisting of white sclerae, blue irises and black pupils. His outer ears are black with white inner ears. He has a yellow scarf around his neck and a utility belt around his hips, with two golden buttons and two bags attached. He has pink paw pads.
"We're in the metaverse somehow."
"But how?" Ryuji asked. Looking around. "I thought that we got rid of all the Jails! We don't even have the EMMA app on our phones!"
"Maybe not on our phones," Ren said, drawing the two's attention. "I was looking through my Goode Goggles and I spotted an app called a MetaLauncher."
"MetaLauncher?" Ryuji asked. "The name makes it like some sort of game. Or an MMO."
"That's what I thought as well. When you said something, it registered the word and it brought us here."
"A MetaLauncher…I see," Morgana surmised. He turned to skull. "So, we got dragged here because of something you said. What was it?"
"I don't know," Ryuji said. "The Goode Goggles showed me something about a winery tour here and that's it."
"That could be it," Ren said. "The MetaLauncher must've registered 'winery' and brought us here."
"But nothing's changed," Ryuji said, spreading his arms out. "This doesn't look like a vineyard."
Ren looked around the room. Now that they are in the metaverse again, there are some significant changes. Plant-like growths have sprouted on the furnishings. The walls and floor are replaced with old-fashinoned wooden planks. The leader of the Phantom Thieves walked to the window and peered out. What he saw made his eyes widen.
"Guys! You better see this!"
"What?" Ryuji asked as he approached. "What's wrong over—HOLY SHIT!"
Down below, isn't the royal capital of Markovburg. Instead of the white buildings of the royal city, their view is blocked by a huge wall. Said wall is covered completely by foliage. Hanging from deciduous woody vines are what Haru would call the flowering plant genus Vitis. Or commonly known as…
"Are those…grapes?" Ryuji asked, gaping at assortment of dangling bunch of grapes. "Damn, they're huge!"
"Yeah, they're huge," Morgana agreed. "As much as I'd like to discuss this, we should get to a safe place. We could get ambushed by shadows if we stay too long. Let's keep our eyes out for a portal that connects us to the outside."
"Let's scan the floors," Ren suggested. "There could be one of those swirly things that Sophia told us about."
They nodded and they rushed out of the room. The familiar rush of traveling in the Metaverse came back to them. They searched every room on the floor for the aforementioned exit. However, by some really cruel miracle, they couldn't find anything that looked like the exit they were searching for.
"Come on!" Ryuji groaned. "Where the hell is that stupid exit?"
"I'm not sensing anything on this floor," Morgana said. He turned to Ren. "Should we expand our search to the top, or the bottom?"
Ren thought about it. "Let's start with the top. That way, when we go back down, we can double check the floors to see if we missed anything."
"If anyone would miss anything, it would be Skull," Morgana said. "But I see your point Joker. Let's go."
Fortunately, the elevator was still working in the Metaverse version of the hotel. They used it to travel to next floor and search. To their disappointment, they found nothing. This result is repeated on the other floors. This continued on until they exited to the roof. It was there they caught a full view of Markovburg.
All of Markovburg is looked to have been replaced with stone walls. They are covered by the same grapevines they saw in their hotel room. The walls are all arranged into an assortment of patterns that make it difficult to navigate from below. At the center of the maze is Castle Markov, but it looked less regal and darker than its real-world counterpart.
"Holy shit, this place is a friggin maze!" Skull cried out. "Isn't this a little extreme to be a vineyard?"
"It all depends on how the Monarch views the, Skull," Morgana said, looking at the top of the castle. "But there's no bird cage…could this mean…"
"This whole area, Markovburg, is a palace."
A Palace is a manifestation of distortion. Strong negative or corrupt thoughts that warp the perceptions of people into a hazard for themselves and others. The image of the palace is how its ruler perceives the world. Like if a teacher views a school as its castle, it will become such in the Metaverse. In this case, someone views Markovburg as their Vineyard.
"A palace?!" Ryuji shouted. "For real? I thought we got rid of them all before the Jails!"
"About that." Ren interjected, getting both of their attentions. "The MetaLauncher said something about us being within an arena."
"An arena?" ask Morgana. "You mean like those arenas that players battle either enemies or against each other in videogames?"
"Oh, you have got yo be shittin' me." Ryuji groaned. "First Palaces, then Jails, and now Arenas? Why the eff' do these things keep happening to us?" He then started. "But wait. Back to the topic. Why the hell is there something like this here in the first place?"
"Distorted desires don't exist in just Japan," Morgana said sternly. "Nor will they fade away. Sure, we got rid of distorted desires of one guy. But that doesn't mean that someone else won't. That someone else on another corner of the globe will develop them. They always find a way to come back like the Jails, or even the Palaces."
"Take a tarot deck for example," Ren said, thinking about what Igor said back in the Velvet Room. "Sooner or later, you're going to draw the Tower Arcana. Next time, you'll get a different result. But you still have to expect to get the Tower Card again. No matter what position it is in."
"Damn!" Ryuji cursed. "So, does this mean that somewhere in this maze is a bastard who this city like a vineyard?"
"It would appear so," Ren said. "Shall we discuss this with the others, Mona?"
"Yeah," Morgana answered. "I'm not seeing an exit, so we better start going back down the—"
He was cut off by a cry. The thieves looked up just in time to see something streaking towards them. As it got closer, it appeared to be a black bird. But what caught their attention was the white emotionless mask instead of a beak.
"Crap! It's a shadow!" Skull cried.
"Get down!" Morgana cried out. The shadow swooped past them, the wind knocking them off their feet. Unfortunately, they happened to be standing near the edge. Now they are freefalling off the building. Ren kept calm while the others were screaming.
"Ohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrap!"
"Joker!" Morgana shouts to Ren, using his code name, as he takes something out of utility belt. "Here! Catch!"
Ren catches the item, recognizing it on sight. Acting on instinct, he casts a grappling hook up. It struck firmly into a windowsill. The line became taught and the Phantom Thief used it to swing and catch Ryuji by the arm. Morgana latched onto his head for dear life as their momentum slowed down. They swung down until the grapple came lose and they landed on the ground safely.
To be correct, Ren landed on his feet crouching down while Ryuji tumbled onto the ground. Morgana landed on top of the blonde's head and groaned.
"Hadn't felt that rush since Oracles palace," Ryuji groaned as he lifted himself up, Morgana hopping off his head. He rubbed the sore spot on his chin. "Anyone get the number of that bird brain?"
When he got no answer right away, he looked at Morgana and Ren, who are standing with their back to them.
"I'm serious? Was that literally a flying shadow? I mean, I know there are some shadows that can fly but still."
"Skull…" Ren warned.
"What? I just wanted to know if…oh…" Ryuji stopped talking when he saw why they were being silent.
As it turned out, they landed in the center of a group of shadows. Humanoids composed of black mass wearing the same emotionless mask as the one that attacked them at the top of the hotel. They are wearing denim suspenders, red plaid shirts with the sleeves rolled up, and white Stetson hats. They are all armed with pitch forks
"Cowboys?" Ryuji asked.
"More like ranch hands," Ren said. This wasn't good.
"Bandits!" One of them declared. "You're here to steal from the boss's vineyard, aren't you?"
"Does it really matter?" Ren asked, hands in his pockets, giving them a defiant glare. He wasn't intimidated by them by not even the slightest. Experience told him that this is going to go south either way. These shadows are drawn to the palace's negativity to protect it. Anyone who wanders in is looking for a death sentence.
"Anyone who trespasses in his vineyard must be dealt with!" The lead shadow declared, brandishing a pitchfork. "Prepare to perish!"
"This just keeps getting better and better," Ryuji said sarcastically.
"We're going to have to fight our way out," Morgana declared, picking up a scimitar that somehow happened to be there. "Remember. Don't let your guard down and take it nice and slow. It's been a while that we've fought shadows after all. Get your body used to it as you get the feel for it!"
"Do you know who you are talking to?" Ryuji asked as he hefted a beaten pipe. "Don't underestimate the charge commander, Mona!"
"I'm getting a sense of Déjà vu," Ren said with a grin.
"That's the spirit, Skull!" Morgana said with a splitting grin. He turned to Ren. "Why don't you start us off with a bang…Joker!"
Ren grinned. He walked forward as the Ranch Hand moved to strike him. As he walked, his mask burst into blue flames.
"I am thou…thou art I…you shadow who have lost your way. Allow me to show you…the strength of our resolve!"
Before the shadows attack landed, it was blown away by a gust of wind. Ren's mask faded as something erupted from behind him with a rattling of chains. A figure taller than Ren stood, large black, feathery wings unfurling, letting out a wave of wind. It wore a very tall top hat, a long-horned mask for a face, a cropped red eighteenth century-esque suit worn open with the collar popped, stitched heart designs on the shoulders, a white ruffle tie, a black tailed corset running down its torso, and blade-like heels. It brandishes it's claws at the hesitant shadows before them.
"Go!" Ren shouts as he swings a chain at them. "Arsène!"
At his master's command, Arsène gathered reddish-black energy in his hands and fired at the shadows. It struck the lead shadow before splitting into several more beams that pierce more of the shadows through. The shadows disintegrated as the energy faded and Arsène faded. Ren's mask returned.
"That's our leader," Morgana cheered.
"Way to take it easy, Joker," Ryuji chuckled. "Make sure you save some for me!"
"You're about to get your chance!" Morgana points out. "Look!"
More shadows are coming their way. They didn't get more than a meter towards them before each of them swelled up and burst into amess of black goo. The goo converged and formed into a new shape, known as Preta. They knew that the shadows before weren't taking them seriously because they thought they were powerless. Now that Ren showed his power, they're unleashing their true strength.
"Get ready," Morgana said. Ryuji nodded and prepared his club. Ren flourished his knife and brandished it at the shadows.
"It's showtime!"
Here's the next chapter. Final tests are this week for the college I go to, so once their done, it's on to summer! Although, I do plan on having some fun this summer with my family, so... I probably won't update as often as you'd like me to. Sorry. (-_-)