Persona 5P: The Phantom Paradox (Persona 5 Royal & Strikers / Young Justice: Outsiders)
Chapter 1: Sweet Reunion
July 23rd, 2018 3:30 AM JST
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Ryuji: Yo, is anyone online?
Ann: Wow. I'm surprised that you are the first to check.
Ryuji: How can I not? We've been talking about this for nearly a year!
Haru: It really has been that long, hasn't it?
Yusuke: Indeed. It all comes down to this.
Ren: Is everybody ready?
Makoto: I'm all packed and ready to go. What about everyone else?
Futaba: I'm good to go! Unlike Ryuji.
Ryuji: What are you talking about? I'm packed to the brim! You honestly think I wouldn't be prepared for this? It's not every day we get a chance like this!
Makoto: A vacation in summer…remember last time?
Ann: Yep. Hopefully, it will be a lot quieter this time.
Haru: It's going to be a fun experience!
Yusuke: That is until something unfortunate happens.
Futaba: This is supposed to be fun! Don't make it sound like we're going to die, Inari!
Ryuji: Yeah! We get to take a look at European babe-age!
Ann: Seriously? Okay, does everyone remember when to meet up at the airport?
Futaba: 4:00 AM sharp!
Ren: Get some sleep. It's going to be a long flight.
Ryuji: Roger that, leader!
Ren Amamiya, a bespectacled man with messy black hair stared at his previous messages. He is dressed in an open white button-up shirt with sleeves rolled up over a black short-sleeved t-shirt, blue jeans and shoes.
He sat on his seat onboard the Narita express. On the seat next to him is a black duffle bag. Ren was staring out the window when a furry black cat poked its head out of the open zipper. It was still early in the morning. The sky is dark and only lit by the moon and electric lights.
"Can you believe it's finally happening?" The cat spoke, blue eyes twinkling with excitement. Ren looked at the cat and smile. He was neither worried nor surprised that he can talk. Only he and his friends can hear him after all.
"You seem excited, Morgana," Ren said with a smile.
"How can I not?" Morgana asked. "After one-year, Phantom Thieves are about to reunite and go on another field trip. This time, I'm coming with you!"
The Phantom Thieves of Hearts. A group of misfits who, disgusted by the deception, hypocrisy, and corruption of society, sought to change it by stealing the hearts of evil adults. One of them happened to be one who ruined his life.
It all began when Ren stepped in to stop a politician from sexually assaulting a woman. This politician used his connections to put him on a one-year probation on a false assault charge. His parents sent him away to Tokyo to serve out his probation. There, he met his friends who later made up the Phantom Thieves. Along the way, they got the guy who set him up and got him off his probation.
They have been through thick and thin. One year ago, they saved the world from an evil god of control. Six months later, they saved the world again. They have parted ways each time, now they are going to meet again after a year.
"You do know you'll be inside a pet carrier, right?" Ren asked dryly. Morgan puffed his furry cheeks.
"I'm willing to make a few sacrifices," Morgana mumbled firmly. Ren could tell that he was still indignant about being treated like a cat.
That was the thing about Morgana. Despite how similar his mannerisms are to a simple house cat, he's not. Of course, there was a deeper reason why he would willingly accept this kind of treatment. Last time he went on a field trip with his friends, Morgana got left behind. This contributed to a growing frustration that he was harboring at the time. While it is resolved, Ren vowed to never let it happen again, hence paying for extra for the pet carrier.
"Want something to keep yourself occupied?" Ren asked. "It's going to be a long flight."
"I'll be fine," Morgana said. "I was able to go five days without anything to do. I can get through an entire flight! So, don't go getting a ball for me to play with. Got it?"
Ren chuckled again. Then, he felt the trains motion slow down as it stopped.
"We have arrived at Narita airport. Thank you for riding the Narita Express."
"Come on," Ren said, getting up. "Let's go see everyone."
Ren exited the station and walked to the front of the airport. As he walked along the road, cars came and go, each of them dropping off travelers. Overhead, a lane passed over to either a distant destination or to land on one of the landing strips. Rather than follow the people inside, Ren was walking along the side, scanning the area for familiar faces.
"Any sign of them?" Morgana asked from the duffel bag.
"Not yet," Ren said. He looked up at the dark sky to see some clouds gathering. He checked his phone to confirm his guess. "It looks like we're going to be expecting rain. We'd better get to a dry place."
"Aww man…" Morgana groaned. "Why now?"
Ren immediately moved to the safety of the airport to avoid a wet future. He leaned against a concrete pillar and waited for any sign of his friends. He waited for several minutes with no sign of them. Just as he pulled out his phone to message them, he felt someone else's presence walk up and stand next to him.
"Isn't this how we first met?"
Ren turned his head to the familiar voice as she lowered the hood of her raincoat. Standing with one leg propped on the pillar is a relatively tall young woman with wavy platinum blonde hair styled in bushy pigtails. Underneath the raincoat, she wore a black tank top over a white shirt, blue denim short shots with a red plaide shirt wrapped around her waist, black cropped socks and red sneakers. Hanging from the middle of her chest is a pair of red sunglasses. Next to her is a pink suitcase.
"Lady Ann," Morgana cried, happy to see her. Ann Takamaki greeted him with a small smile before kneeling to scratch him behind the ears. Ren met her when he started his first day at Shujin Academy, during his probation period.
"It's good to see you, Ann."
"It's good to see you two, again," Ann said as she stood up and looked around. "So, are we the first ones here?"
"By the looks of things, yeah," Ren replied. He held up his phone. "I was just about to message everyone else. Have you heard anything?"
"Well, I hear dthat Makoto is coming with Haru," Ann said. "Yusuke said that he would be running late. I think Sojiro is bringing Futaba here. Ryuji…nothing."
"What do you mean?" Ren asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I mean, I haven't heard anything the last time we messaged each other," Ann clarified before sighing. "My guess is that he probably forgot to set an alarm and overslept. Looks like we're going to have to expect him to make a rush to get here in time."
"Umm…Lady Ann…"
The two of them looked at Morgana who is staring at something ahead. Following his gaze, they saw a purple sleeping bag a few feet away from them. Snores were coming from the occupant. Both humans' eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh, you have got to be joking," Ann grumbles as she walks over to the sleeping bag. Once she reached it, she grabbed a black sleeping mask and pulled it back before releasing. This action snapped the sleeper awake.
"Ow!" A short spiky blonde-haired head shot up from the ground and removed the sleeping mask. "What's the big idea? Wait…Ann?"
"What the hell, Ryuji?" Ann demanded. "Were you sleeping here since last night? What if you were robbed?"
"My bag is still here, ain't it?" Ryuji asked as he gets out of the sleeping bag. His attire is a yellow tank top with red prints, khaki shorts, and blue sneakers. Around his neck is a chain necklace. With a muscular arm, he picked up a blue bag that looked like it was about to burst. It appeared he had been using it as a pillow. "I didn't want to be late, so I figure that I come here early. After a while, I got tired and decided to take a nap. Luckily, I brought along my sleeping bag."
"You actually learned from last time?" Ann asked in disbelief.
"Yep," Ryuji said. He looked over to where Ren and Morgana are standing and waved. "Hey Renren! Morgana! Long time no see!"
"Please don't call me that," Ren said. "Also, you might want to get over here. It's going to rain soon."
"Okay. Wait…what?" Ryuji asked before a drop of water hit his hair. Then, it began to drizzle. By the time Ann returned to cover, it became a down pour.
"Looks like Ryuji is still Skull as usual," Morgana comments with a sweat drop as Ryuji scrambled to stuff his sleeping bag into his travel bag.
Ryuji Sakamoto is Ren's first friend during his probation at Shujin Academy. He was the first to befriend him despite his criminal record. He was regarded as a troublemaker those days and he was proud of it.
"Did you forget to bring a raincoat?" Ann asked as Ryuji ran to their spot. His bag was soaking wet.
"I didn't think that it was going to rain!" Ryuji said defensively. "Why the hell does it have to rain in the summer?!"
"When the heat rises, so falls the rain…such is the form of water…"
A deep male voice drew their attention. Standing there with a sketchbook, watching the rain, is a tall man with dark blue hair. He wore an indigo, gray and black long sleeve shirt with black pants, and black casual loafers. Next to him is a dark blue suitcase. He drew the scenery with masterful hand-eye coordination, his expression stoic.
"Perhaps a darker shade of blue is appropriate…"
"Yusuke!" Ryuji shouts as he stomped over to him. He pointed a finger at his face. "I should've known! This is your fault!"
"I beg your pardon?"
"You bring rain everywhere you go, therefore it's your fault!" Ryuji insisted. Yusuke remained perplexed.
"He's not wrong there," Ann muttered.
"Good to see you, Yusuke," Ren greeted.
"Same to you, Ren," Yusuke greeted back. "I wish this reunion could've come under better weather."
"I could say the same," Ren said, recalling previous instances where Yusuke 'brought' bad weather.
Yusuke Kitagawa is another friend of Ren's. He didn't attend Shujin Academy, rather he attended Kosei High School. An honor student in the art course, he is a gifted artist. Ren had 'Hope and Desire', one of his masterpieces back at home and on his phone.
Before they could talk more, a taxicab pulled up near them. Both sides of the back opened, and two women came out with umbrellas. One is had a brown bob cut and wore a white dress blouse with a black belt, black capris and black low heeled Mary Jane shoes. The other had chin-length curly light auburn hair and wore a transparent greenish white-collar dress underneath a white tank top, white pantyhose and cream-colored pumps. Both of them took out suitcases from the trunk and walked over to them.
"Hey guys," The bob cut greeted them. "Quite the weather we're having, huh?"
"Guess who brought it," Ryuji jerked his thumb at Yusuke.
"Once again, I don't understand what I am at fault for."
"If only you knew," She sighed. She turned to Ren. "It's good to see you again, Ren."
"Likewise, Makoto," Ren said.
Makoto Nijima was the student council president during his attendance at Shujin Academy. She was an exemplary honor student until she became a Phantom Thief. Done with being treated like a tool for the authorities, she vowed to be more honest with herself and earn her reward through her own merit.
Ren turned to the auburn girl. "It's nice to see you too, Haru."
"I couldn't agree more," Haru said with a small smile. "It's nice to see everyone again."
Haru Okumura is the daughter of the deceased Kunikazu Okumura, president of Okumura Foods. She also attended Shujin Academy as a third-year student. She and Makoto are close friends. Her goal in life is to open a café chain.
"Not everyone," Ren said. "We're missing one more person."
As if on cue, a condor yellow Porche 356 pulled up right where the taxicab was. It just sat there four a few minutes before the passenger door opened. A young girl with hip length bright orange hair hopped out. She wore black circular glasses, a light green long coat, a yellow shirt with an indigo pixelated heart, black shorts, and black thigh high socks and knee-high boots. Around her neck is a set of blue headphones. She spoke exasperatedly to the driver.
"Yes, I have my passport! You asked me several times, Sojiro…" She stopped talking when she saw Ren. Before he could react, she ran over to him and enveloped him in a hug, burying her face into his chest.
"I missed you so much…"
"Futaba has been talking about you non-stop," An elderly voice said. A middle-aged man wearing a white raincoat was unloading a small green suitcase. Underneath he wore a pink dress shirt, pale khakis, a white leather belt, and white loafers. His chinstrap beard, goatee and his glasses were enough for Ren to know the man as he chuckled. "She was literally bouncing off the walls."
"I get the feeling boss," Ren said as he hugged Futaba backed. He pets her head affectionately. "I'm excited to see her as well."
Futaba Sakura is the adopted daughter of Sojiro Sakura, his boss back when he was under probation. Due to her high intelligence, she was bullied often and barely had any friends. It got worse when her mother died in front of her and her relatives abandoned her. She lived a reclusive and lonely life until the Phantom Thieves stole her messed up heart. So far, she has been fully rehabilitated and is now attending High School.
The girl released her hold and took her suitcase from Sojiro. "Thanks for the ride Sojiro. I promise I'll call you regularly."
"Make sure you do," Sojiro said sternly. He looked at Ren. "You take care of her, okay?"
Ren remembered a promise he made. When he discovered her affiliation with the Phantom Thieves, he made a promise that if they faced an enemy they couldn't defeat, they would run. He would look after Futaba, who he viewed as a little sister.
"I will."
"Good," Sojiro walked back to his car. Before he entered, he gave Ren one last look. "It's good to see you doing well, kid. Have a safe flight and have fun on your trip."
"Thank you, sir," Ren said. With that, Sojiro got into his car and drove away. He turned to his friends, glad to see them again after so long. They had so much to talk about and they knew it. The calm moment was broken by Ryuji, who somehow ended up in the rain again.
"Can we get out of the rain now?!"
Later on, after checking in and getting through the security check, the group gathered at the terminal for their flight. With the limited seats, they sat around in a semi-circle.
Ryuji, by some miracle, managed to get into a university. He is now studying to further his education in hopes to obtain a job to support his mother. He often gives advice to the local team. Though he is experiencing problems paying for it. Luckily, he had enough to pay for his plane tickets.
Ann is still in the modelling business, much to Morgana's joy. At Morgana's request, Ren subscribed to the fashion magazine featuring Ann. She still has her rivalry with Mika, but nothing short of a friendly one. Like Ryuji, she attends a university using the money she made to pay.
Yusuke is still making his career as an artist. He's been traveling around finding inspiration for his pieces. Ren still had his copy of 'Hope and Desire' back at his place. The artist hopes to find more inspiration during his trip.
Makoto is doing well at the university. By attending the university, she can take a six-month course at the Metropolitan Police Academy upon graduation. She had passed the finals for this year and is now planning to take a well-deserved vacation.
Haru is doing likewise in her agriculture course. While attending, she is helping to manage Okumura Foods. Thanks to her, the employees and customers are enjoying before her father's policies. Now, she's planning on scouting out places for her café chain.
Lastly, Futaba succeeded in her most recent high school exams, and once the summer break ends, she'll be just about half-way done with her current year of high school. On the side, she is making a living as a pro gamer.
"So how much do you make?" Ryuji asked.
"Hmm…" Futaba put a finger to her chin. "I'd say about 1,533,550 yen an hour."
"For real?!" Ryuji exclaimed. "Imagine what you could get with that dough?"
"You mean like the cool new computer setup I currently have in my room?" Futaba asked. She reached into her bag and took out a dark grey device that looked like goggles. "Or the most popular product on the market?"
"You got Goode Goggles?" Ann asked. "I heard those things made a popular Christmas shopping item. And it was only September!"
"Exacta Mundo!" Futaba grinned as she took off her glasses and puts on the Goode Goggles. "This thing has got all sorts of things. Entertainment, News, Social Media, you name it! It even has vacation and travel functions. Which will really be helpful during our trip!"
"Sounds fun," Ren said as he reached into his bag. He pulled out a pair of his own. "Want to play while we are flying?"
"You betcha! We can play Phoenix Ranger Featherman R: Battle for the Sky together!"
"Whoa, you have Goode Goggles too?" Ryuji asked Ren with surprise.
"May I join in as well?" Makoto asked, pulling out her own. She seemed a little embarrassed. "I wouldn't mind playing Black Condor."
"I wanted to play Dead by Daybreak," Haru said, holding out her pair as well. "But I suppose I can expand my interest."
"What? You all have Goode Goggles?" Ryuji asked. He was spinning around that he nearly tripped. He even saw Yusuke holding up his pair. "You too Yusuke?"
"I find their art function provides a perspective between the difference between realities."
"You're acting like you never got yours," Ann said, holding her as she was about to put them on. When she said this, Ryuji slumped his shoulders in depression.
"They were all out of sale," Ryuji groaned. "Not to mention I was still struggling. I couldn't even find a pre-owned one at the store. It's like the only place we can find it is at the Black Market."
"If he only knew…" Morgana chuckled from his pet carrier. Ren nods as he reached into his duffel bag again.
"Something funny cat?" Ryuji asked heatedly
"Here you go Ryuji," Ren pulled out an unopen box of Goode Goggles. He handed it to Ryuji who looked like he was given a birthday cake. He looked back at Ren.
"You have another pair?" Ryuji asked.
"I got it as a gift from an elderly couple," Ren answered. "I already bought my own, so I held onto it so I could give it to someone who wanted it. Would you like it?"
"For real?" Ryuji looked at the box again. "Thanks a lot! You're a life saver, Renren!"
"Just stop calling me that," Ren said with a sweat drop. "If you hurry, you can set up your account."
"Way ahead of you, bro!" Ryuji hastily unwraps the plastic off the box and rips it open. "You think they have a Justice League game? I want to play the Flash!"
"Sorry. I've looked and I found none," Futaba said apologetically. Upon seeing his dejected look, she added. "Don't worry. If I can make a mobile game, I can make another."
"Really?" Ryuji pumped his fist. "That would be sweet! Who would you play as?"
"Green Lantern. Hands down," Futaba replied nonchalantly. She turned to the others. "What about you guys?"
"I think I would go for Fire," Ann said. "Something about her appeals to me."
"She would certainly suit you with the color red," Yusuke praised. "I'd settle on Ice. Her beauty compliments her powers."
"You can't go picking heroines like that!" Futaba yelled at him. "People will think you're a creep, Inari!"
The point of online gaming is that you can pick who you want to be, regardless," Makoto pointed out. "Personally…I wouldn't mind playing Superman."
"I'd like to play Wonder Woman," Haru said. "She's so strong, pure and has a nice figure."
Everyone looked at Ren, expecting his answer. Ren thought about it carefully. The Justice League have been heroes to the world. Not only do they give people hope, but they also inspire people to a higher standing with their heroics. Something that would've come in handing a year ago with the false god.
"Personally, I'd pick all of them," Ren said. They looked surprise at his answer, so he elaborated. "None of them outshines the other. Whatever powers or skills they have doesn't matter. To me, they are all the greatest heroes."
"That's our leader for you!" Morgana said. "Personally, I pick Martian Manhunter. I'd love to get my hands on his shapeshifting powers!"
"Don't you already have shapeshifting?" Ryuji asked as he wore the goggles.
"You know the answer to that one," Morgana snapped.
Ren smiled. Morgana is actively searching for a way to become human. Ever since he discovered the Justice League, he's been watching footage of his battles. He heard him muttering if he could get his hands on such abilities in the real world.
"You know, it's really great that you managed to get those tickets to Markovia for everyone here, Ren." Haru said.
"I agree." Said Yusuke. "Surely there must have been countless others on that online contest attempting to get their hands on them. It is most fortunate that you came out on top in the end." He added.
"Totally! The hotel that's also reserved even allows pets in! Talk about lucky!" Morgana cheered, happy that he'll get the opportunity to have some fun in a foreign country with the rest of the Thieves.
"Thanks a lot, guys. It's just that..." Ren started, while frowning slightly, getting the others attention. "The funny thing is, I don't even remember entering an online contest like that to begin with." He said.
"Back up. What?" Ryuji asked, surprised.
"Seriously?" Ann asked, also surprised.
Ren nodded. "Yeah, about a month ago, just a few weeks before summer break started, they just arrived in my mailbox, saying that I won them in an online contest, and surprisingly, there were just enough tickets for everybody here. I even checked online to see if they were legit, and... they were."
"Are you for real, Renren?" Ryuji asked, while also making Ren slightly annoyed that he called him by that name again.
"That does sound rather strange." Makoto added.
Yusuke then had a thought. "Wouldn't that mean that someone hacked the system and added your name to the roster without your, while also rigging it so that you would end up the winner?"
Everyone blinked at that, before slowly turning towards Futaba. Futaba noticed their stares, before realizing what they were all think. "What the-!?" She exclaimed. "Oh, come on, guys! I had absolutely no idea that there was a contest for that online! I was way too busy brushing up for exams and working on gaming videos. And besides, I am a White Hat Hacker, meaning that I'm the good kind of hacker. Doing something like that is a serious breach in the White Hat Code!"
"There is a What Hat Code?" Haru asked.
"What's your overall thoughts on this, Ren?" Morgana asked Ren.
"Well... I dunno. I mean, it's confirmed that the tickets were legit, and I know for a fact that Futaba wouldn't do something like this, but... I just can't help but get this gut feeling that something's not quite right here." He concluded. Before they could come up witth anything else to say, a voice came over the speakers.
"Attention please. Flight to Markovia is now boarding…"
"That's our cue," Makoto said. She grabbed her bag. "Perhaps we can discuss this another time. Come on. Let's get in line."
Everyone nodded and grabbed their bags. Ren picked up his and Morgana's pet carrier. Just as he was about to join him, a television drew his attention. It was set to the Galaxy Broadcasting System, a popular American news outlet. Reporting was its pundit, G. Gordon Godfrey.
"Sadly, the search for the missing teenagers has been unsuccessful. Certainly, no thanks to the Justice League. If they're making any effort, why do we still have the metahuman trafficking?"
Ren frowned at the mention. Years ago, after an alien invasion, the existence of the Meta-Gene was revealed. It is a genetic marker in certain people that allows them to endure catastrophic trauma by developing superpowers. Because of this, unscrupulous people have been scrambling to weaponize these people. They would even stoop to kidnapping kids from their homes and make them active.
This reminds me of how the world is distorted…
"On the subject, Secretary General Luthor had this to say…"
What Secretary Luthor had to say Ren didn't here. His vision tunneled upon the sharply dressed bald man. He was too eerily similar to the man who framed him, Masayoshi Shido. All one had to do was add glasses and a small goatee. His policies regarding the Justice League sounded similar to the draconian laws he would've installed should he be Prime Minister. From what he can tell, they almost can't do anything without his permission.
Ren had a bad feeling about him.
"Hey!" Morgana cried from his pet carrier. "What's taking you so long?"
"My apologies," Ren snapped out of his thoughts and joined the others in line. They presented their tickets and boarded the plane. Ren found his seat next to Ryuji with one empty for Morgana's pet carrier. Without anything to do, Ren found himself with his Goode Goggles.
"So hey," Ryuji said. He spoke with his Goode Goggles on. "Did you think we would've made it?"
"Made what?"
"The Justice League, duh," Ryuji whispered. "I know that the Phantom Thieves are supposed to operate in the shadows, but did you think we would've made it?"
Ren thought about it. The idea of getting into the League and being a superhero sounded appealing. But…
"Who knows," Ren answered honestly. "You'll never know what life will throw at you."
A few minutes later, their plane took off into the early morning sky, on its way to Markovia.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Markovia
In the dead of night, two men in suit are running through the streets. They stopped at a crossroads and looked left and right. One of them let out a curse.
"Damn it! We lost her!"
"Search everywhere! We need to find her before Baron Bedlam finds out we lost another product!"
The two men split up to find their quarry. Unbeknownst to them, a girl was watching them from the rooftop. A yellow hood is pilled over her head, brown dreadlock trailing out with golden hair cuffs. She pulled herself back and sighed with relief.
"I've lost them," She whispered to herself, but she was still tense. With shaking fingers, she pulled out her phone and speed dialed a number. As it rings, she saw the battery and cursed.
"Damn it. Low battery! Come on…
After a few rings, the call connected.
"Dad?"
"Naomi?" A frantic voice spoke. "Where are you? Are you alright?"
"I am," Naomi replied. "Listen, I'm at—"
Then, the line went dead. Naomi pulled the phone away from her ear and saw that it had turned off. The battery had died.
"Damn it!" Naomi cursed and threw down her phone. The screen cracked as it hit the ground.
"I heard something!"
Naomi stiffened and turned to look down at the street. The men were coming back. She scooped up her phone and started running, as it seemed more than evident that her life depended on it.