Well here is Chapter 3. Some things look like they may not go as planned, but alas, the Trickster must continue. I am beginning to love this story, and I'm the one writing it. This chapter is a bit shorter as I got a bit sick but still wanted to get something out. Although a bit short, I still think there is a lot of good things about it. I hope you guys enjoy this story.

Trald1994: Well, how smart is Ren compared to them?

calderoneric758: You'll have to keep reading to find out ;)

Phantom Thief of Hearts: I do like your input on the Joker and Kuroko banter. I'll have to see how that would fit into the story.

craytherlay: A new urban legend shall definitely be born. As for Touma? Don't worry, we will see our favorite unlucky boy in action soon.

123ABIR123: I shall do my best, thank you for your support.

Tora Lych: I am honored to hear that.

Guest: You're in for a treat.

Disclaimer: I do not own Persona 5 Royal or Toaru Majutsu no Index.

"Joker?" the girl said questioningly.

After revealing his codename, Ren immediately knocked out the final member of the small Skill-Out group.

"Are you ok Miss?" Ren asked her.

When he looked at the girl, Joker noticed that she was one of the girls he met at the restaurant, Ruiko Saten. Considering her interest in chasing down what was urban legends it actually didn't surprise him that she ran into trouble. He decided to keep a mental note to keep an eye out on her in future situations for her safety.

"I'm perfectly fine," Saten replied. "What kind of power do you have? That was amazing!"

Ren didn't want to disclose information so he decided to cut the conversation. He was confident his identity wouldn't be outed but better to be safe than sorry.

"I'm just glad you're safe Miss, please be careful to not let it happen again."

"Wait! How can you do that and is Joker your codename or something like that?" Saten yelled.

Giving the girl a grin and ignoring her questions, Ren used his grappling hook to get to the top of a building and got out of sight from the girl.

"Hey wait! Geez, I couldn't even thank him," the girl said disappointed.

Ren decided to keep his thief attire on and scout the city to look for any other people who might be in trouble. If he did it once today, he might as well keep doing it for as long as he could. Helping people would always be something he valued more than anything.

This was a moment where Ren missed his team the most. With his entire team, they could cover much more ground. Futaba would make scouting for literally anything almost instantaneous. That was also a reason Ren walked up to people a lot and struck conversations with them. He hated being alone.

Jumping around from each building to the next, Ren had begun to wonder about Skill-Out. He knew that they were willing to hurt people and something like that was completely unacceptable. What made Ren worry, however, was the lack of a Metaverse. Even if he took it upon himself to take down Skill-Out, he wouldn't be able to take their hearts in the shadows. He had to risk exposing his identity to the city and that would lead to a lot of speculation as to why a masked man was attacking a group filled with Level 0's.

After the internal conflict with himself, he decided to leave it to the authorities. It felt completely unlike him to leave a problem to someone else, but he thought it was the best choice. It wasn't a question of whether he could do it or not, because he could wipe them off the face of the earth if he chose to. The real issue lied with his priorities. The amount of time it would take would completely overwhelm him. It would also take away time into learning what the real cause of Ruin would be.

He would do his best to protect the people in harm's way, but he couldn't fully commit to stopping them due to the fact that harm would be all that awaited them if he did.

After failing to find any more trouble for a couple of hours, Ren managed to find an empty alleyway with few people around it. The Trickster managed to get back to ground level and went from his thief attire back to his school uniform. He would never get tired of the thrill that fighting gave him and the joy of saving someone from danger.

Technically, this could be viewed as training for the Daihasei Festival right? He was getting back into fighting shape, a little vigilantism wouldn't hurt anyone. He hoped that maybe on this planet Judgment or Anti-Skill would at least be able to give him some leeway, but doubted it shortly after.

The law was something that Ren had viewed in a different light after his sentencing. The fact that he helped a woman in need only for her to backstab him, was something that irked him to his day.

Deciding to act like a normal high schooler, Ren decided to go to District 15 as that was the major shopping district in Academy City. Blending in with the rest of society would give him a solid alibi just in case someone managed to find out about his small stint as Joker.

Ren preferred to walk instead of taking the bus to the shopping district as he wanted to keep his muscles stretched and warm just in case another conflict arose.

Walking into a mall called Seventh Mist, Ren looked around to see if there was anything interesting to buy. It definitely felt like the malls back in his version of Japan, so he was glad that there wasn't anything too drastic of a change.

After looking around for a bit, he noticed the girl with bangs who waited for Fukiyose and decided to talk to her. It had become completely natural for Ren to talk to girls, as talking to Makoto Niijima required the biggest amount of charm and spine. He casually approached her to see how she was doing.

"Hey, aren't we classmates?" the boy started off.

"Oh hello, you were the boy speaking with Fukiyose before we left school right?" the girl with bangs said calmly.

"I was, I saw you waiting for her and grew curious about you."

"You grew curious? That's strange, hardly anyone comes up to a stranger and takes interest in them."

"Well, I'm no ordinary stranger, but a classmate. Isn't that right?" the charming boy said with a flirtatious smile.

Ren did realize how flirtatious he could sound even without meaning to, but it did guarantee him a new acquaintance every time he spoke to a girl.

"Well then," the girl said the girl tilting her head. "Why did you grow curious about me?"

"First off," the boy replied. "Your name, I didn't really have an opportunity to converse with any classmates. Once again, my name is Ren Amamiya."

The girl looked flustered. Ren didn't think anything about his question and wondered why it had such an effect on the girl.

"I'm so sorry, my name is Aisa Himegami, it's a pleasure to meet you." the girl said with a bow.

So this girl felt embarrassed that she failed to introduce herself? Ren found it funny and let out a slight laugh.

"What's so funny?" Himegami asked while being composed again.

"Nothing at all Miss Himegami,"

"Well then, I doubt my name was the only thing you wanted to know. What else made you want to talk to me?"

"I decided to take this opportunity to get to know my fellow classmate. Is there something wrong with that?" Said Ren with a relaxed smile.

"No, not at all. I just don't see myself as that interesting of a person..." She trailed off as she looked away from him.

"Well, that isn't true, because I find you interesting. I believe that there will always be someone who will want to know about you."

At this point in the conversation, Ren had noticed she wore a cross around her neck. Religion was the last thing he expected to find in the city of science, but something about it felt strange. The topic of religion was something that Ren didn't want to bring up because he didn't know much about it.

"Tell you what?" the boy said. "Let's go get something to eat or drink, and continue talking."

It would be the second time today that Ren would be going to a restaurant, but it involved making a connection. The more he had, the stronger he became and the easier it would be to protect everyone.

"Well, a break wouldn't hurt anyone would it?" Himegami replied.

Finding a small cafe within the mall, the boy with glasses and the girl with dark long hair took a seat after ordering what they wanted. Ren went for an iced coffee this time, and Himegami ordered three hamburgers.

"Are you really gonna finish all of that?" the boy asked.

"This is just a light snack." Himegami deadpanned.

Ren had no right to judge. He had taken the Big Bang Burger challenge more than a dozen times and completed it almost every time. He was surprised that someone had the same amount of guts he did to buy that much and eat it in such a short span.

"Anyway," the boy said. "Are you excited about the Daihasei Festival?"

"I'm really not one to care about it, but I guess it could be interesting," Himegami said.

"Do you have an ability?" asked Ren.

The look on her face was something that Ren knew all too well.

Pain.

The tense look on her face while also looking away to avoid eye contact. He had seen it from his friends who had lost their family. Ren couldn't relate to their loss, but he could be there for them to help share their burden.

"Actually forget about it," said Ren. "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to."

The mood had definitely been brought down and Ren knew it was his fault for bringing up something sensitive.

"No it's ok," the girl said. "It's just something I'd prefer not to talk about."

"That's perfectly fine, you can take the lead."

"Ok then, why did you transfer to the school at this time?"

"I didn't really like my old school, so I decided to transfer here to settle in better and live a more quiet life."

This was now Ren's go-to excuse to questions where he came from or why he transferred. Vague, but enough to prevent them from asking any more than he wanted them to.

After finishing his sentence, Ren heard an explosion go off in the building. Everyone in his proximity was beginning to panic and he realized he would need to take charge to keep everyone calm and alive.

"Everyone stay calm!" the boy yelled. "Stay close to each other and don't run off! I'll go check it out and find an exit so everyone can get out of here!"

Himegami noted that the boy looked completely calm in this situation. He definitely had the voice of a leader, but what made him so composed at a time like this?

"Himegami!" Ren said, turning his head to the girl. "I need you to stay with these people and make sure none of them do anything reckless. I have to go check out what happened and make sure nothing is obstructing our way out of here."

The girl was speechless, she couldn't believe the building had exploded but still managed to give Ren a nod.

Ren dashed towards the stairs and began heading down to see what caused it. Was it an attack or was it an internal problem? He was beginning to go downstairs as that was where the explosion sounded like it came from. He noticed a couple of men, some in masks, surrounding civilians.

"Make sure no one escapes!" a man said. "We need to make sure that that dumbass Electromaster shows her face!"

Electromaster? Surely they were speaking about someone but Ren didn't know who it was. To go this far though, having hostages just for someone to show up.

"We've already broadcasted the message boss," another man said. "We still need to check the upper floors. With the AIM Jammer though, no one here is gonna be capable of stopping us! Those damn high-level Esper's won't even be able to use their ability!"

AIM Jammer? What the hell were all these new things that Ren didn't know about? He had done extreme research just to be introduced to new things every day. From what he heard though, it prevented Espers from using their ability. This would mean even if that Electromaster showed up, she wouldn't even be able to fight them.

Among a group of hostages, Ren was able to see Uiharu among them. She had her Judgment armband on, but with just her, she'd have no chance of apprehending anyone.

This was quite a situation for Ren. He didn't know how many men there were, and even if he managed to disarm and neutralize all of them, he didn't know if they had a contingency plan. He'd have to hope for the Electromaster to show up and listen to the demands they had.

"I'm gonna check the upper floors and gather more hostages," yet another man said. "Mace, you're with me."

Mace had to have been a codename, at least the group was smart in that regard. Now that they were heading upstairs Ren was forced to disarm them. He couldn't let them get a hold of more hostages, and he couldn't let them signal for help. Ren was devising a plan that would get everyone out of the mall.

Ren had finally been able to make out their appearance after hiding his presence from them. Mace looked of college student age and had bleached hair up to his shoulders. The other grunt had a mask over his head trying to keep his identity hidden.

"Mace," the masked man said. "You take right, I got left."

They had split themselves off which would only make Ren's plan go even smoother.

Ren waited for Mace to turn the corner to ambush him. He had taken his gun out to de-escalate the situation quickly and try to get information.

Ren saw that the masked man was going to turn and immediately attacked him.

"What the shit!" the masked man shouted surprised.

Ren had gone for a swift takedown leaving the man on his back. Ren then pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the man.

Ren made sure to tell Himegami to keep the group under control, no one would be able to see him do this.

"So what's your plan?" Ren asked.

"Like I'd tell you!" the man struggled.

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way," Ren said while pulling back the hammer on his pistol. "And I'm sure you don't want the hard way."

"It doesn't matter if you kill me, our goal is to eliminate Mikoto Misaka, that damned Railgun or whatever she calls herself."

"Our goal? Who do you work for?" Ren asked.

The man started laughing hysterically. Normally this would be a great tactic to nerve your enemy, but Ren saw right through it.

"Ok, the hard way then," Ren said.

He had searched his soul to switch to Dionysus in order to brainwash the man. Luckily, changing Personas was internal and would never leave a physical trace.

"You follow my orders now," Ren said.

"Yes, master," the man replied.

"Now, let me ask you again, who do you work for?"

"My group is called FORMULA,"

Another organization? Why were there so many people in this city that were willing to hurt people? The status that would come with them if they defeated a Level 5 would be high but to actually want to do something like that seemed completely pointless.

"Where are the AIM Jammers and what can they do?" said Ren.

"On the roof of the building, they are in use to disrupt Esper abilities, even enough to stop the Level 5."

"Is anyone guarding it?"

"Two people and they are heavily armed."

"Any backup plans I should know of?"

"No, we thought it would be quick and clean. It seems you were the only variable we didn't account for though."

This relieved Ren. If he could disable the AIM Jammer before Mikoto Misaka got here, their strength together should be enough to disarm everyone and get everyone to safety. As long as Ren didn't show anything related to Personas, he could get away with just solid fighting ability.

"What the hell!?" Mace shouted. "How did you beat him?"

Ren already had the information he needed. He decided to switch to Raoul to use Phantom Show followed up by Makajamaon. The skills put both men to sleep and made them lose their memories respectively.

Ren made it back to the group where Himegami was still trying to calm everyone down.

"Ok, everyone," the Trickster said. "As long as you stay here you will be fine It won't be much longer until it's stopped."

"You're just a kid!" a woman shouted. "You can't stop them on your own!"

"I understand I may not look like much ma'am, but please leave this to me and stay here with everyone."

The woman really had no reason to try and protect Ren. She had her own life to worry about and wouldn't throw it away for a stranger.

As Ren reaffirmed everyone, he began to head to the roof to disable the AIM Jammer. Ren had switched his Persona back to Alilat and stopped before the door of the roof.

'It's showtime!' the Trickster told himself.

Ren had busted through the door and the two men froze for half a second only to open fire on the boy. Ren was shocked that their first response was to open fire, but he would make sure that they would never be able to do anything like this again.

With the bullets jumping off the boy's skin the two men began to panic.

"What the hell! How is his ability still working!?" one of the men shouted.

Ren was laughing internally at how scared the men got rushed both of delivering a solid takedown to each of them.

Ren could have put the two men to sleep like he did the others, but these men followed shoot to kill orders. Ren would make sure they felt some type of pain.

Ren looked at the now incapacitated men and turned to the AIM Jammer. He had no idea what it was actually doing but it didn't matter right now. He switched to Raphael and used a quick Sword's Dance on the machine. Raphael, although one of the seven archangels of God, was a powerhouse that could tear down anything with strength alone.

'That should take care of it." the boy thought.

Heading back to the group, Ren would now have to wait for Misaka to arrive and assist her in taking out the rest of FORMULA's lackeys.

"Not only did you take the entire mall hostage, but also held my friend hostage too!" a girl shouted.

Ren realized that the voice must have belonged to the Misaka girl and ran down to help her fight. She might've been a Level 5, but the amount of collateral damage that could occur was something far too great for him to take any chances.

Making his way to the first floor of the mall, Ren could hear the shouts of pain from the men who had realized the AIM Jammer was not active.

"AGHH"

"WHY ISN'T IT WORKING!"

"SHIT!"

"WE'RE SCREWED!"

The girl in a Tokiwadai uniform was making a mockery of these grown men and made Ren feel like he wouldn't actually need to fight.

Ren also realized that he looked extremely suspicious being alone and coming down the steps without any fear of being hurt.

The girl of middle school age saw this and turned to face him as he made his way down to the first floor.

"Even people your age are with them!?" shouted the furious Electromaster.

The girl's bangs began to float and electricity began to crackle around it.

Ren saw that a lightning bolt was headed straight towards him. He had dodged attacks faster than this, but it would make him suspicious if he dodged. He also didn't want to get hit and show her that it would have no effect on him.

Ren made his choice.

Feel free to leave a review, comments, suggestions, or any ideas you guys have. Don't hesitate to tell me off if you don't like something.

Well, we have an original group of mine that is willing to kill people. How will Ren combat this?

Thanks to HelixPenn for reviewing the chapter. Go check out his work!