Persona 5P: The Phantom Paradox (Persona 5 Royal & Strikers / Young Justice: Outsiders)
Chapter 9: Bedlam's Confession
Metropolis, Delaware
July 29th, 2018 10:16 PM EDT
"Doesn't sound promising."
"No, it doesn't," Dick Grayson said as he watched Pierce Jefferson walk away. Unbeknownst to the world, he is actually the superhero Nightwing. Once part of a team of former sidekicks to the Justice League now operating on his own.
He is recruiting for a team to take down Bedlam, a metahuman-trafficking syndicate that is operating in Markovia. He made a connection back at Moscow from analyzing a sample of tar that can only be found there. So far, he managed to get his old friends Artemis and Connor on board. Pierce was the hero known as Black Lightning
"And we're running out of time," Oracle said. "While you ponder that, there's something that you should see."
"What is it?" Dick asked.
"When Baron Frederick Delamb was giving his announcement on the GBS, the broadcasting system was hijacked by a group calling themselves the Phantom Thieves of Hearts."
"The Phantom Thieves of Hearts?" Dick asked. Something about the name rang a bell.
"I'm looking into them right now. Apparently, they broadcasted an announcement that accused him of various crimes. Let me pull it up so you can see it for yourself."
Dicks Darkwear lenses brought up a video feed. It fast forwarded from Gordon G. Godfrey to where the video was hijacked. He saw the hat and mask logo and the words 'Take your Heart' spelled in newspaper cutout. He listened as a myriad of distorted voices accuse the baron of various crimes. Selling his own people to the metahuman trafficking, abducting princess Tara, and finally the assassination of the Markov king and queen. He was especially curious about the whole stealing the barons distorted desires thing, as well as the "Winery of Greed" term. What caught his attention was the moniker they used.
"Baron Bedlam…" Dick muttered before he realized something. "Wait… Now that I think about it, Bedlam is…"
"An anagram for DeLamb?" Oracle asked. "Yeah, I realized it too. You think that he's connected with Bedlam?"
"He might be, or it could be a coincidence," Dick said as he kicked himself for not noticing it. "But judging this broadcast, I'm inclined to believe that he does."
"What makes you say that?"
"People don't usually make threats like that," Dick declared. "I can tell from the tone of their voices that they're angry. Not to mention the fact that Baron DeLamb nearly lost his composure after it ended. It doesn't count as evidence, but it does mean that he's definitely guilty of at least something in there."
"If that's true, then we may not be dealing with just a metahuman-trafficking ring but a coup d'état as well," Oracle said grimly. "Wouldn't put it past him to order the king and queens deaths. I'll update the mission parameters. Investigate Baron DeLamb while you and your team are there. Assuming you have one."
"Right," Dick groaned as he moved to get to the rendezvous point. Time to find out who is coming. He hoped that at least some of them will come, otherwise he'll have to do it himself. Either way, Bedlam is going down.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Hotel Markov, Markovburg, Markovia
July 30th, 2018 7:11 AM EEST
Naomi woke up for the first time without any problems sleeping. Ever since she escaped from that place, she'd been sleeping with one eye open. Looking over her shoulder. But somehow, today, she slept without a fit and she didn't know why.
With that, she got up and got dressed. One quick look around the room told her that she's alone. It looked neater than she remembered before hitting the hay.
"I'll just go down and get some breakfast. Maybe they're there already…"
To her disappointment, they weren't there. She helped herself so some bagels and eggs and sat down. It was odd being in a hotel when the staff isn't suspicious of you. More surprising was the fact the receptionist never asked Ren's party why there is an extra person.
"I suppose it's only a matter of time," Naomi muttered as she finishes her eggs. She was about to get a second helping when a group of people entered the room. The girl recognized them from the corner of her eye.
"Oh, there you are! So where were you…"
Naomi's words died on her mouth when she saw the state of her friends. Ren's glasses are lopsided, and his hair is even messier than ever. Ryuji has done the impossible task of sleep walking with his shirt inside out. Ann had dark rings around her eyes which did nothing to her beauty. Yusuke looked like a walking zombie. Makoto was breathing heavily as if she had run a marathon. Futaba had a bad…no, worst case of bed hair. Lastly, Haru's clothes look more wrinkled than everyone else. Above all, they looked like they just woken out of bed.
"Are you guys alright?" Naomi asked as they filled plates of food. "You look like the walking dead."
"Do we look alright?" Ann groused in irritation.
"Yeesh, sorry for asking Ms. Grouchy pants," Naomi grimaced.
"Please forgive her, Naomi," Ren said as he adjusts his glasses. "She just had a rough night. We all had a rough night. I'm sure you'd understand."
"I wouldn't blame you," Naomi admitted. "If someone came in and ransacked two rooms, I wouldn't be sleeping soundly. I mean… I've been getting chased by kidnappers."
"It's kinda hard to remember the fact that she was in a worse situation than what we were thinking about last night," Morgana muttered from Ren's shoulder, thinking back to the night before.
It turns out that after Ren's explanation of what he was thinking about last night, the Thieves started to worry a bit more about the state of their hotel rooms. They knew that they couldn't report to the police and they certainly don't want to pay the hotel a lot of money for a mess they didn't cause. Cleaning up as much of it as possible was a total nightmare for them. They had spent a lot of time cleaning up the best to their ability, but the anxiety from it, as well as the pump of adrenalin from stealing a treasure for the first time in a while, had still remained, thus preventing them from getting too much sleep overnight.
"Well, you guys look like you haven't gotten enough sleep," Naomi points out. "Honestly, you should get some rest."
"You should tell that to Ryuji," Ann groaned as she poked at the blonde punk's head. "He's the one who nearly killed himself in traffic. Several times if I may add."
"Whut wuz that?" Ryuji's head snapped awake, drool dripping from his mouth. Ann's face scrunched up in disgust.
"Wipe your drool."
"My energy points are all spent," Futaba yawned. "I need to finish a long rest in order to recover it."
"Want to explore the hotel, Naomi?" Ren asked as the thieves finished their breakfast and got up. "I'm feeling guilty that you've been spending much of your time cooped up in the room."
"That would be nice," Naomi admitted. "I was starting to go bonkers. But what about—"
"It should be fine as long as you don't wander away from the hotel," Makoto said, rubbing her eyes. "I alerted the receptionist about the break in, and she told us that they can hire security. Thankfully, she said that the damages the intruders inflicted won't be added to our bill."
Makoto took out the girl's room key and held it out to her. "This grants you access to the rest of the hotels facilities. Make sure you don't lose it."
"As if," Naomi grinned. "You guys go and enjoy your rest, okay. I'll be sure to wake you guys up for lunch."
"Thanks," Ren said.
"If you want, you can borrow my swimsuit," Ann offered. "It should be just about your size."
"Thanks Ann," Naomi said with a small blush. "But I think I'll skip out on it."
With that, the Thieves left Naomi to go to their rooms. It was there that it registered that the girls needed their room key. After a comical minute of getting, it and handing it back to Naomi, they took their well-deserved rest.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Hotel Markov, Markovburg, Markovia
July 30th, 2018 12:37 PM EEST
Naomi woke them up just in time for lunch. As usual, they decided to do a takeout from a nearby restaurant. This time, it was local Markovian food that they feast upon. While they ate, the discussed Naomi's return to the United States.
"You remember your social security number," Makoto asked.
"Yep."
"And where the American Embassy is?"
"Of course."
"You remember the route to take to avoid detection?" Makoto asked. While she knew that it won't be necessary given what they've done, she felt better safe than sorry.
"Yes, I do," Naomi said. "Man, you remind me of my dad. He had this whole military feel whenever he fussed over me."
"Hey, considering that you got kidnapped, I think he had every right to be," Futaba said as she examines her laptop, which had a few dents. "So how does it feel? You're finally going back to your hometown."
"I'm glad that I'm going to see my parents again," Naomi admitted. "But I'll admit, aside from the whole kidnapping, running, and hiding, this trip wasn't all that bad. I got to see another country and meet new friends."
"And eating new food," Ryuji cried out with his mouth full. Ann scrunched up her face in disgust and slapped him in the back.
"Don't talk with your mouth open," Ann scolded.
"Even after all these years, you still eat like a pig," Morgana sweat dropped.
"I'm sorry if I messed-up your vacation plans," Naomi said suddenly. "You must've had a whole lot of plans in mind if you guys hadn't met me."
"Is it wrong to help those in need?" Yusuke asked. "To help anyone who is suffering?"
"I would regret it if I didn't help," Haru said softly.
"It wasn't wrong of us to help you, Naomi," Ren said. "What should be wrong is not lending a hand. If it's a crime to help others, then I'd rather become a criminal."
"Let's not go that far!" Naomi waved her hands in front of her. "The last thing I'd want is to turn several of my friends into the world's newest Supervillains!"
"I'm sure we would make better supervillains than them," Ryuji said. His mouth was full and couldn't be heard clearly.
"What did he say?"
"He said that we might make better supervillains than the modern ones," Ann translated, having been used to Ryuji's eating habits. "I'm actually agreeing with this one. I idolize a female villain on an anime I watched as a kid. She was sexy, take what she wants, and more importantly being true to themselves. If there is one good thing about Supervillains, it has to be that. It shows people who you really are inside."
"So, you'd rather be a supervillain than be a superhero?" Naomi asked with a raised eyebrow. "You definitely have the sexy vibe for it. And I mean it as a compliment…not in a creepy stalkerish way…"
"Don't worry, I understand," Ann said wistfully. "I'd rather be someone who is honest than try to win the publics favor."
"Hey, don't go looking down on superheroes now," Naomi said with her eyes narrowing. "It's true that they have their hands tight, but they helped a lot of people. Saved a lot of lives. If that were the case, then Superman wouldn't have visited my hometown."
"We're not belittling them," Ren said. "We admire them as much as any other bloke. It's just that we feel like they're rolling over for the UN's draconic restrictions."
"That…is actually a good point," Naomi admitted. "Sometimes…I feel like that they're acting like lapdogs to the UN. It's no wonder that some of them resigned from the league."
A while back, several of the Leagues Number had resigned in protest to the heavy restrictions that Secretary General Luthor had imposed upon them. Some of them were big time heroes like Batman and Green Arrow and others their sidekicks. Luthor attributed this to not being able to play by the rules. Nobody except for the ambassadors of Themyscira and Atlantis came to their defense.
"Yet another good thing about supervillains," Yusuke said dryly. "They are constantly evading the rules and escaping the law."
"Like every other supervillain prison weirdos are constantly escaping from," Naomi said with a laugh. She stood up. "If you all would excuse me, I need to relieve myself."
Naomi disappeared into the bathroom. That left the Thieves alone with their unfinished food. It was there that Ren took the opportunity to raise a question that has been nagging in the back of his mind since they pulled off the heist. It's regarding Makoto
"Makoto, why were you so harsh with Ryuji back in the Baron's Castle?" Ren asked. Makoto jumped at the unexpected question. Her face became filled with shame.
"I—"
"Yeah, I get that you don't want me to drive, and I'll admit that my driving is still shit," Ryuji said. "But you didn't have to be that harsh."
"I know that you are aggressive in a fight against the Shadows, Queen," Morgana added, using Makoto's code name. "But that was way too much even for you. What happened?"
"It's just…" Makoto tried to say before sighing in defeat. "I'm sorry Ryuji…It's just…do you guys remember when I have to take the exam to enter the Metropolitan Police Academy?"
"Oh yeah, you mentioned that back in Japan," Ryuji said. "Right before we boarded the plane."
"Well, I just recently got an email regarding my exam and, well…" Makoto said, pulling out her phone to show them. "I passed."
"Really?" Haru beamed. "That's great Mako-chan!"
"No shit!" Ryuji exclaimed as he walked over to Makoto's side of the table to pat her on the shoulder. "Congrats Makoto! Why would that get you so worked up about?"
"It's just… I feel a little conflicted," Makoto said hesitantly. "I don't know if I can do it."
"What do you mean?" Ren asked, surprised at her hesitation. "Isn't this what you've been working for? To continue your father's legacy?"
"It is. But with the metaverse returning… the metahuman trafficking… I can't turn away from this. As long as there are cognitive domains like these Arenas, we could be going everywhere else to conduct more heists. Since we can't be everywhere at once, I can wait until next year until all of this is over."
"All the more reason for you to attend," Ren said. "You can learn to work within the system to combat meta crimes. I don't doubt that there's a trafficking ring back at home you can crackdown."
"But…"
"We can't be everywhere at once, true. But that doesn't mean we can't help to the best of our ability. Besides…I don't know if we can go on more heists after this one," Ren admitted. His friends looked at him in disbelief. The leader of the Phantom Thieves was giving up? "Don't get me wrong. I'm keen on targeting more people like Baron Bedlam. But we're not exactly rolling in money, and if the other palaces are like Bedlam's…I can't afford another plane ticket."
"Yeah, I can barely scrape together enough money for mine," Ryuji said with his shoulders slumping.
"Me too," Ann added in disappointment.
"Same," Futaba said.
"I'd be happy to lend you some money," Haru said. "But I need seed money for the Café I'm opening in Japan next month."
"Once again, we are defeated by our greatest adversary…money," Yusuke said dramatically. Even Futaba didn't have the heart to call him out on his money habits. One time, he spent all his money on two lobsters and didn't have enough to afford the fare home. This may be the only heist they can pull off since the metaverse's return.
"We may have encountered a roadblock like this," Ren broke the silence at last. "But did we let that stop us?"
"Hell no!" Ryuji yelled, standing up. "It's like Ren said, we can help out to the best of our ability. We don't need to be Superman in order to help out. Heck, we didn't need him when we got Renren out of Juvie!"
"Yeah," Ann nodded her head in agreement. "We even worked our butts off in order to plan this trip. I'm sure we can do it again to put an end meta-trafficking."
"With blood, sweat and tears we accomplished many things," Yusuke praised. "This is the third time we embarked on this saga."
"I bet I can cause a more havoc than you guys!" Futaba chuckled darkly. "Maybe I should get back into the hacktivist game."
"Nobody said we have to pull off another heist right away. Remember when you told me that you wanted to become a police commissioner?" Ren asked Makoto. When she nods, he continues. "You told me that there are too many incidents in Japan that are never brought to light. Villains who prey on the hearts of the weak with cowardly, legally questionable methods."
"And it's contradictory considering that we are working as Phantom Thieves," Makoto said with a smile as she remembers their conversation all those years ago. "But I see your point. We don't need to rely on the metaverse for everything. Until we can pull of our next heist, I'll work my way up in the academy. Thanks for reminding me, Ren."
"It's my pleasure to be working with you, Chief Nijima," Ren said with a smile. "With you in charge, the Japanese Police Force is going to experience a major upheaval."
"O-Oh stop it," Makoto averts her eyes and fiddles with her hair in slight embarrassment.
"I'd expected nothing less from the fist of the phantom star," Ryuji said with a grin. His face blanched in terror from the intense glare Makoto gave him.
"What did I tell you about calling me that?"
"S-Sorry ma'am!"
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Royal Palace, Markovburg, Markovia
July 30th, 2018 8:32 PM EEST
At the royal palace, the pre-coronation reception for Gregor Markov is taking place. Invited guests talk among themselves, most of it was focused on the murder of the late king and queen. It was hard to be in a festive mood when the Prince's parents were murdered.
None of them noticed Dick as he made his way into the palace. He is dressed in a formfitting black jumpsuit and a mask covering his lower face. Two eskrima sticks stuck out from holsters on his back.
"I'm in the palace," Nightwing said. Through his high-tech contact lenses, he received a message from Artemis Crock AKA Tigress.
I'm on my way to the Children's Hospital. Found a couple of henchmen trying to bury a teenage girl alive.
"Is she alright?" Nightwing asked.
She's alright. A little shaken but she'll be alright. Here's another thing. When I was engaging the henchmen, she glowed and threw up some kind of force-field.
"She's a metahuman?"
It appears so. I don't think she has any control over it. Luckily, she helped me out by knocking out a henchman with his own whip. I'm going to keep her with me until we know what to do with her.
"Okay. Meanwhile, I'll continue investigating Baron DeLamb," Nightwing said before continuing deeper into the palace.
Nightwing and his team had arrived in Markovia to shut down the Bedlam Syndicate. Dick and Artemis arrived at Markovburg Airport from Vlatava under fake passports while Superboy and Black Lightning slip into Markovia aboard the Super-Cycle. The plan is for Superboy and Black Lightning to sneak stealth gear into the Markovian National Cemetery and investigate Markovburg Children's hospital.
He and Artemis would be attending the pre-coronation reception for Gregor Markov to investigate anyone connected to Bedlam or the assassination of the late monarchs. While they had suspected members of the royal family, it was narrowed down to Baron DeLamb thanks to the Phantom Thieves broadcast.
The Phantom Thieves. He had done his research on them while he was gathering his team. According to Oracle, they were a group of supposed metahumans who became active a few years ago. While their existence is a question, there is proof of their existence. Mainly the criminals whom they stole the hearts of.
Nightwing wasn't sure of what they meant by that. What he was more concerned about was by how their targets acted. Ranging from minor to high profile targets, anyone certainly guilty of corruption and crimes have been reduced to weeping husks and confessed to their crimes.
Despite being hailed as heroes who fight for justice and protect the innocent, some deemed them a dangerous group. After seeing the murder of one of their targets, Kunikazu Okumura, he was inclined to believe that. Of course, it turned out that Masayoshi Shido is the one behind his murder, along with the mental shutdown incidents that plague Japan several years ago. From what Dick could gather, the Phantom Thieves modus operandi appears to be mental in nature.
After that, the Thieves faded from public memory until around 7 months later. A series of changes of heart was going around in Japan and suspicion was focused on the Phantom Thieves. At least until it was revealed that the perpetrator was the CEO of the Madicce Corporation, Akira Konoe. He was working with Jyun Owada to brainwash the public with an app called EMMA. Further researched revealed that Owada was working with a treasonous group called the Antisocial Force that terrorized Japan over a year ago. The same group that supported Masayoshi Shido.
Of course, they wouldn't have been brought to justice if it weren't for the Phantom Thieves. The police never released any details regarding them, but they clarified that they weren't behind the incidents. After that, they faded from the public again, never to be heard from again.
That is until now. If Nightwing knew from watching those videos, Baron DeLamb is likely to be guilty. But The Light is more than likely to silence him to cover up his crimes. Which means that there is little time to uncover the evidence before it's gone for good.
But why would the Phantom Thieves come out after about a year? Did the rise in Meta-trafficking cause them to come out of retirement? Those are questions that he set aside as he stealthily crept through the halls. When he and Tigress arrived at the party, they overheard the guards mentioning that DeLamb hadn't taken a step outside of his room since morning. Of course, he ordered security around the palace to be increased ever since the Phantom Thieves broadcast. Something told him that wasn't going to do him any good.
It took him several minutes to find DeLamb's room. After he lured away the guard posted there, he snuck inside without a sound. Quietly, he began to search around the area. Just for good measure, he placed camera bugs around the room before he searched the drawers of DeLambs dresser.
He reached success when his eyes fell on the painting of the baron himself. The man seemed to think highly of himself. His lenses picked out a safe hidden behind it. The painting swung on its side, revealing the safe. It appeared the baron is old fashioned and used a dial safe.
"Going to have to do this the old fashion way," Nightwing said. Then, he pulled out a piece of paper he had taken from one of the barons' drawers. "Then again…"
He read the numbers off the paper and turned the dial. It clicked open and swung outward. Inside are stacks of papers and files that Nightwing began to rifle through. They were playing it smart by not keeping this on a computer. Nightwing blinked, triggering the lenses camera function, taking a pictue of the evidence.
"Let's see…" Nightwing muttered. "Medical files on missing people from the Children's Hospital…nothing definite. A ledger…what else is in here…"
At that moment, her heard the door click. Knowing what is going to happen next, Nightwing closed the safe and reset the painting. He was underneath the bed before the door opened and someone walked inside. While it's the oldest trick in the book to hide underneath the bed, it's also the least expected unless you give yourself away.
As black boots walk pass, Nightwing accessed the camera bugs through his lenses. His lenses identified Baron DeLamb as he locks the door and walked around the room. He placed something on a small table and covered it with a cloth before Nightwing could get a good look at it.
Then, out of the air, a portal opened up with a loud boom. Stepping out are two men identified as Count Vertigo and Doctor Simon Ecks. Nightwing tagged Ecks as a suspect involved with Bedlam at the reception, but Vertigo was a surprise. Then again, Vlatava was under the domain of Markovia. Could he be using Bedlam to overthrow his niece, Queen Perdita? He spotted her at the reception. He made a mental note to protect her if he tries to assassinate her.
"Is everything alright Baron?" The guard called out from the otherside of the door. The knob jiggled. "I heard a noise."
"It's alright guardsman, nothing to worry about," DeLamb waved his hand. He addressed the two men. "Thank you for coming on such short notice gentlemen."
"What is this about your highness?" Count Vertigo asked respectfully. "We were just shutting down the facility when you asked us to meet you urgently."
"Shutting down?" DeLamb asked. "What are you talking about?"
"We've been discovered," Ecks answered nervously. "Two men broke into the facility."
"Who were they?"
"One of them got away," Vertigo said. "The other I know well. The Superboy. I faced him before during my time in the Injustice League. It's likely that he didn't come alone. As such, we are shutting down the facility and moving the pods. I thought you should know your highness…your nephew is one of the subjects."
"What?" DeLamb asked. His gaze shot towards Ecks before going back to Vertigo. "How did this happen?"
"It was Dr. Jace," Vertigo answered with a scowl. "She planned to activate his metagene in order to stop you. She would even go as far as to call you out of control."
"Perhaps I am…" DeLamb muttered, a look of regret crossing his face.
"Something wrong your highness?" Vertigo asked.
"It's nothing…" DeLamb said. "We've come a long way, haven't we? Everything that we've built will soon be ours. Experimenting on children, selling the ones that survive, and…orchestrating the death of my brother and sister."
"Indeed, your highness," Vertigo said with a grin. "While we may experience some technical difficulties at the moment, we'll be back up and running as soon as we find a new facility. Soon you will be the king of Markovia and I'll be of Vlatava. As soon as we get my despicable niece out of the way."
"I will miss the Children's Hospital," Ecks said. "It provided me the perfect cover to conduct my experiments."
"Indeed," DeLamb narrowed his eyes. "Tell me…can anyone else at the facility open a boom tube besides you Vertigo?"
Vertigo looked confused by that question. "No. I'm the only one who can. Why would you ask me that?"
"Just wanted to make sure that there was nothing else that can help you get away."
"What?" That was all Vertigo could say before his face met DeLambs fist. Vertigo crumpled to the ground with his nose broken. He didn't get up as DeLamb advanced upon Doctor Ecks, who was backing away.
"W-why…. what are you doing your highness?" Ecks asked before DeLamb seized him by the throat.
"I do not deserve to be called that," The Baron said, his voice monotone. "That should be addressed only to my brother, sister, and now my nephew whom I have betrayed. Tonight, I will atone for my crimes."
He held Doctor Eck's throat until he became limp. Nightwing watched this play out in silent shock. His lenses showed Vertigo and Eck's vitals are stable, they're just unconcious. This all confirms that DeLamb is indeed involved with the Bedlam Syndicate. Heck, he just admitted being the one running it.
Could it be…
He was broken out of his thoughts when DeLamb walked past the bodies and to the door. Opening it, he addressed the guard.
"Get several more men over here and detain these two. Keep them confined in a cell until further notice."
"Yes, milord," The guard said. "But how did they get inside?"
"I'll reveal everything soon at the reception. For now, make sure that these two do not escape and await further instructions."
"Yes, milord," The guard saluted. He ran for a few minutes and came back with more guards. They secured the villains with cuffs and lead them out. The Baron watched them go before walking back to the table and removing the cloth. Zooming in, Nightwing realized it's a recording device.
"With this, there will be no going back. I just hope this comes to light."
He walked over to the painting and opened the safe hidden behind it. Putting the recorder down, he closed it and replaces the painting. The Baron sighed deeply and straightened his suit. Then, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room. Nightwing waited a few moments before he crawled out from beneath the bed and approached the safe. He opened it and pulled out the recording and played the whole conversation.
"If the confession doesn't come out, at least this will bury Bedlam for good," Nightwing said as he plugged in a cord and began to upload the recording. Just then, he received another message from Tigress.
I found Black Lightning. He said that Count Vertigo is here along with a creature named Plasmus. Superboy's been captured and we're going to go rescue him.
"I'm well aware," Nightwing said as he puts the recorder back into the safe. "Hang tight. I'm coming to assist. Something tells me this mission is about to be over really quick."
What makes you say that?
"Well…let's just say that the baron had his heart stolen."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Hotel Markov, Markovburg, Markovia
July 30th, 2018 11:00 PM EEST
"Checkmate," Ren declared as he moved his piece to check Naomi's king. They sat on a bed across from each other with the board between them. He carried it with him as to satiate his boredom on this trip. Naomi took on the offer of being his opponent.
"Lost again," Naomi groaned as she combs her fingers through her hair. "I figured this would be similar to chess."
"Shogi is much harder than chess," Ren explained. "It's to test your wits. It was developed by warrior monks to hone their focus, contemplation and learn to out-think the enemy. Get inside their heads. But it can also act as a mirror, showing your true self."
"And by playing, it shows that you are an excellent shogi player," Naomi said.
"I'm sure there are others who are better than me," Ren replied bashfully. "Besides, I couldn't have done it without my master."
"By that he means Hifumi Togo," Yusuke says without looking up from his work. "She was one of my classmates back in Kosei Academy. She had such talent in shogi and beauty that she became known as the Venus of shogi."
"Really? Must be quite the player."
"Yeah…except that it turned out that her mother was rigging her matches," Ren revealed, much to her surprise. "Trust me, when she found out, she wasn't happy about it. But she put up with it because her father was sick, and she needed the money. Not to mention that title makes her feel nothing but contempt for it."
"Her mother rigs her matches?" Naomi asked. "Why?"
"Because she wants to live off of her daughter to gain fame she never could," Ren answered. "Fortunately, she stopped doing that. So, when she played her first match against a professional shogi player, she was happy when she forfeited."
"She played without mommy interfering and she was happy that she lost?"
"One must lose with grace with dignity until the very end as a queen should…" Ren quoted. "She was content that she finally went up against an opponent that challenged her at full strength. By the way Yusuke. How is she doing?"
"Last I heard, she's already a professional shogi player," Yusuke said. "I saw her win this year's shogi tournament again. Her smile was of that of queen. I would say that she truly has become a Venus of shogi."
"Wasn't it already established that she hated the title?" Makoto asked as she types away at a laptop. She, Ann, and Haru sat at the table. Futaba had loaned her laptop to her while she played with Ryuji on the Goode Goggles.
"What'cha up to Makoto?" Naomi asked.
"Booking our flight tickets back to Japan," Makoto answered. "With the ban on metahumans entering Markovia, it's only a matter of time before they start closing the airports. The earliest I could get was tomorrow night. Hopefully they don't close the borders before then."
If they closed the borders that will leave the Phantom Thieves trapped and at the mercy of the Markovian Authorities. Not to mention that at a UN summit, the ambassador for Markovia announced that all vigilantes are banned from entering the country without permission from its government. That would technically apply to them, which is why they are leaving the first chance they get.
"I just hope everything will be alright though," Ann muttered.
"I'm sure it will be Ann," Haru assured her.
"Damn it!" Ryuji yelled out. He pointed a finger at a grinning Futaba. "I swear, you've got to be cheating!"
"Aww…looks like somebody is a sore loser," Futaba teased. "Next time you pick a game, make sure it's something your good at. You just keep falling off the cliff in Legion!"
"Then let's pick something you're not good at!" Ryuji said as he scrolled through the Goode Goggles games. "Let's see…Space Trek 3016…Psycho Cop…wait. Guys, do we get messages on these things?"
"We should be able to on social media," Haru answered. "Why?"
"Because I got this weird message," Ryuji answered. "You might want to take a look at it. It's regarding the…eye app?"
Despite his clumsy way of code phrasing it, they understood what he meant. Ren pulled out his Goode Goggles and put them on. It booted up on the homepage and he saw a message icon at the top of the screen. He tapped on it and it opens up to a message with the background of the MetaLauncher. He could hear his friends, aside Naomi and Morgana, putting on their Goode Goggles to read the message.
Congratulations!
You have been selected to beta test a new game for Goode World Studios! Are you brave enough to venture into hell itself and reach paradise? Enter the code now to play.
Map code: Inferno
Lasciate ogne Speranza, voi ch'entrate.
"I don't like what it said about venturing into hell," Ann shuddered. "What did it mean by that?"
"I really hate being kept in the dark here," Naomi said. "Someone want to tell me what's going on?"
"We received an odd message from Goode World Studios," Yusuke explained. "It would appear they want us to be the first players for a new game they've developed."
"Well, that's good, isn't it?"
"More like suspicious," Makoto said with a frown. "We didn't sign up for a chance to beta test it. Something is going on and I feel like it could be a scam."
"Also, what's that sentence on the bottom mean?" Ryuji pointed out. "Is that in a different language?"
Ren looked at it himself. "Yeah, it is. I remember seeing this particular sentence before when doing a research paper. The language is Italian, and it translates to "Abandon all hope, ye who enter"."
Haru grew fearful. "Abandon all hope? I don't really like the sound of that."
"Hey guys!" Morgana called out from in front of the TV. "It's on!"
The Thieves took off their Goode Goggles to look at the TV. It has been tuned to the Galaxy Broadcasting System. They are waiting for the live streaming for Prince Gregor's Pre-Coronation reception. It was scheduled to begin this late at night. Any longer, and it will already be tomorrow. Although that isn't the reason why they are watching it.
It was for the Baron's confession.
"This is Cat Grant reporting live from the Palace of Markovia," The blonde reporter speaks into the microphone. "Guest have gathered here to celebrate Prince Gregor's pre coronation. Following the tragedy that struck the nation, is now expected to take the crown. Provided that he comes of age of course. Until that time, his uncle, Baron Frederick DeLamb will be serving as his regent. After hours of delay, he is expected to give an address today. Oh look! Here he comes now!"
The camera panned to show the Baron himself walking up to the podium. The same podium at the same place that King Viktor and Queen Ilona had given their support to end Metahuman trafficking before they died. He raised a hand to silence the music before he began.
"Good evening," DeLamb began in a monotone. "Less than twenty-four hours ago, our own king Viktor and my beloved sister Queen Ilona were ruthlessly assassinated. But tomorrow, we crown their first born, my nephew Gregor, as our new king."
He was met with applause from the gathered guests. Even DeLamb joined in, but his movements felt halfhearted. The aforementioned prince raised his hand in greeting. Yet the thieves noticed him scanning the crowd with a worried look on his face. It was like he was looking for someone. DeLamb continued speaking.
"At this point, I would be pledging to support him as his regent until he comes of age…I regret to inform you that will not be the case."
The crowd fell silent at this declaration. Even Prince Gregor was surprised at what his uncle was saying. Before he could ask, DeLamb continued, his voice beginning to crack.
"You want to know why I will not be acting as his regent. The answer is simple…I am a traitor to the crown and this country," Murmurs of confusion rippled through the crowd at DeLambs declaration. "I've been entrusted with the protection of the country and the royal family, MY family, and I have abused it for my own ends."
"Uncle, what are you talking about?" Gregor asked, but DeLamb continued on.
"I have been running a Metahuman trafficking ring underneath your noses," Bedlam said, drawing a gasp from the crowd. "Under the name Baron Bedlam, I have been subjecting patients at the Children's Hospital to metahuman experiments. With two compatriots who are being held under armed guard with orders to take them to the Markovian Prison. Anyone who survived the experiments were sold into slavery like bottles on a shelf. The deceased are dumped in an unmarked grave at the national cemetery. I have already submitted the evidence to the proper authorities and asked that they sent men to secure the hospital."
"It was also I who orchestrated the assassination of my brother and sister," DeLamb revealed much to the horror of the guests and Gregor. "They were threatening my operation, so I hired a Quraci assassin to kill them in their sleep. I intended to use this as a pretense to acquire more test subjects from the Quraci refugees for my metahuman experiments. After he carried out the deed, I killed Jaculi to keep him quiet. I also planned to dispose of Gregor and Brion and so that I can seize the crown for myself."
"He what?"
"He's a trafficker?"
"First, he killed children, then his own sister and brother-in-law, now he plans to kill his own nephews?"
"What kind of monster is he?"
"Uncle…you…!"
"Baron DeLamb, you're unwell," A dark-skinned man in a black suit stepped forward. He tried to speak over the escalating murmur with little to no success. "The pain of your brother and sister must be getting to you. Please calm down and—"
"But what's most unforgivable of all is Princess Tara, my niece's kidnapping," DeLamb continued, his voice becoming hoarse. "I was the one who kidnapped her and sold her to metahuman slavery all those years ago. I have robbed her from this family and made her along with her brothers orphans."
The silence was so deafening that you could feel the tension in the air. The crowd was giving DeLamb looks of horrified disgust. Prince Gregor, who had remained silent throughout DeLambs confession, was clenching his fists in suppressed rage.
"I can never be forgiven for my sins, but I am truly sorry that I have betrayed your trust. Betrayed Markovia, my family, everyone," DeLamb nearly sobbed, tears starting to fall from his eyes. "I will turn myself in to be judged. Which is why as my final act as commander for the Markovia Security Force, I order you…arrest me!"
Everything became silent. Nobody said a word as DeLamb stepped away from the podium and held his hands out. The Security Forces stationed at the palace didn't know what to do. The man who tried to calm DeLamb down, took the opportunity to speak once again.
"Baron DeLamb is not feeling well. Ladies and gentlemen, if you would please…"
"You heard him!" Gregor roared over him, his face set in anger at the man he thought of as his uncle. "Arrest him! For treason against the crown and the royal family!"
With this command, the Security Forces finally acted. The crowd finally regained their voice as the guards slip cuffs around him. They shout words of disgust while reporters that are among them took pictures of DeLamb being led away. Cat Grant, who had been visibly stunned throughout the ordeal, finally remembered that this entire thing was being broadcasted.
"Oh…um…" Cat tried to regain her composure. "If you are all just watching now, it appears that Baron DeLamb had just confessed to being a meta-trafficker and a murderer! What does this mean for Markovia? Stayed tuned while we find out… wait I'm getting a call from headquarters, give me a second…hello…we're cutting the broadcast? But what about…?"
That was all she managed to get out before the screen shifted to placeholder bars. Feeling like they've seen enough, Morgana changed the channel with his tail. Naomi was the only one staring at the screen with her mouth open. They couldn't blame her.
"Did we just see a guy confess to being a meta-trafficker?" Naomi asked dumbly.
"Seeing is believing," Yusuke quoted with a smile. "It looks like the citizens of Markovia will be sleeping easily tonight…or early in the morning as it's already the 31st of July."
"Alright! Score one for the Phantom Thieves!" Ryuji pumped his fist.
"Looks like everything they said was true," Ren said as he begins to pack up the Shogi set. "Anyway, we've been up long enough. Let's get some sleep."
The Thieves nodded and got up from their seats, beds, or the floor. They had stayed up long enough and it was getting to them Naomi, who had been quite for ever since the confession, suddenly spoke up.
"You guys are the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, aren't you?"
Their reaction was so comical. They boys, who were nearly at the door stumbled in their step. Morgana would've fallen off of Ren if he hadn't dug his claws into his girls dropped whatever they were holding as their bodies stiffened. Goode goggles, laptop, and even a sleeping mask. They all looked toward Naomi, who was giving a triumphant smirk. Ren was the one who spoke first.
"I'm sorry?" Ren asked.
"Don't try to deny it," Naomi said. "I don't need to be the world's greatest detective to figure you guys out. I've seen plenty of detective shows and your reactions pretty much matched up with a guilty party."
"H-how can you tell?" Ann asked.
"Oh, I don't know," Naomi said with a shrug. "How about the fact that a few days after I met you, the Phantom Thieves just magically show up out of nowhere and declared war on a country royal. And you guys would disappear for hours and not answer me when I knocked on the boy's room. To be honest, I wasn't sure until you guys confirmed it for me."
"Were we really that obvious?" Makoto asked.
"It would seem so," Yusuke said.
"For the first time, it's not Ryuji's fault that we were exposed," Ann said.
"Yeah…hey what's that supposed to mean?" Ryuji asked.
"Don't you remember when Makoto recorded
"Not quite. Other people managed to figure out that I'm a Phantom Thief. Seems like we still haven't grown out of it," Ren said, remembering several of his confidants, including his old boss. "To answer your question Naomi…yes, we are the Phantom Thieves of Hearts."
"Wow," Naomi drew her legs so she can rest her chin on her knees. "So, what's your origin story? How did you get that Baron guy to confess? Tell me everything!"
"Easy there Naomi," Ren raised his hand to placate her. "We'll tell you everything in the morning. We need to get some sleep."
"Yeah, we need shut eye," Ryuji said with a yawn. "I can barely think without getting a good night's sleep."
"Alright, but I'm definitely going to be hounding you after we get some sleep," Naomi said as she entrenched herself into the covers. "Night."
"Night," Ren said as he and the boys walked out the door and closed it.
"Do we really have to tell her everything?" Ryuji asked on their way to their room.
"She was able to correctly deduce that we are the Phantom Thieves," Yusuke said. "I don't see how we can keep anything from her. I've grown to be quite fond of the girl."
"She can be trusted," Ren said. "We don't need to tell her about how we access the Metaverse. As for our methods, we can give her a vague idea about how we operate. I can tell that she won't tell anyone our identities."
"How can, you be sure?" Ryuji asked.
"I can tell."
"Well, I trust your judgment Joker," Morgana said, using Ren's codename. "Besides…maybe she can feed me something juicy on Martian Manhunter."
"You realize his shapeshifting powers are a result of his species, right?" Ryuji asked.
"I knew that! That doesn't mean I can't hope to acquire those abilities to become human!"
Ren just chuckled at the banter between the two.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Markovburg Children's Hospital, Markovburg, Markovia
July 31st, 2018 1:15 AM EEST
Nightwing stood with his group, watching the GBS broadcast the Barons confession to the whole world. After discovering Vertigo's involvement, battling Bedlam thugs, and encountering two metahumans, they thought nothing else could surprise them on this mission. Obviously, they thought wrong.
"Am I seeing things?" Black Lightning asked in disbelief. Behind him walked Plasmus, whom they freed from Bedlam's control. They barely had time to get him out before the Markovian authorities raided the facility.
"No, you're not Black Lightning," Superboy answered with equal suprise. "I have super hearing and I can tell you that you're hearing everything clear."
"I still don't believe it," Tigress said. "This guy confessing to everything. Nightwing, do you know what happened."
"I have a hunch," Nightwing said. "Baron DeLamb attracted the wrong kind of attention this time around and it wasn't us."
"Mind telling us who?" Black Lightning asked. "I wasn't aware that there was another team operating here."
"Believe me Lightning, if there was another team coming on this mission, I would've known about it," Nightwing said. "It was only recently that I became aware that the Phantom Thieves of Hearts were targeting Bedlam as well."
"The Phantom Thieves of Hearts?" A slim, olive-skinned teenage girl asked. She wore a hijab to cover her head.
"It was him!" Everyone turned to see the prince's enraged expression. Every word that his uncle had spoken, confessing his crimes, has incensed him. Beneath him, the earth is turning into lava. Dr. Jace had told them that Brion and his family have a metagene that allows them to control geological forces. The problem is that he doesn't have a grasp on his full abilities.
"Prince Brion! Wait!" Dr. Helga Jace called after him. But he submerged into the hot ground without heeding her words. Nightwing can guess where he is going.
"Superboy! Go after him!" Nightwing ordered. His teammate noded and lowered himself. With a push of his super strong leg muscles, he took off into the air in a single bound. He hoped his teammate would be able to stop him in time.
Otherwise, the Metahuman situation in Markovia will become a whole lot worse.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Café Leblanc, Yongen-Jaya, Tokyo, Japan
July 31st, 2018 7:20 AM JST
"Goodness. Looks like they can't even take a vacation without getting caught up in the Phantom Thief business," Sojiro Sakura said with his eyes twinkling in amusement.
"Indeed," A beautiful woman with upper-back length ashen brown hair agreed with a smile. Yesterday, they saw the news that the Phantom Thieves had sent a calling card directed at Baron DeLamb. Sojiro kept the channel on the GBS until they saw the baron confessing his crimes to the whole world.
"I'm going to be honest…I never really did like the Baron," Sae Nijima said.
"Neither did I," Sojiro admitted as he gave her a plate of LeBlanc's curry along with coffee. "I guess that after the whole mess with Shido and Owada, I've come to distrust politicians."
"I wouldn't blame you," Sae said as she drunk her coffee. "Especially when one of them has confessed to committing meta-crimes. I've been getting a lot of cases regarding missing people. It's a nightmare…"
"Hopefully it ends for the people of Markovia," Sojiro said with his arms crossed. "The kid had me worried there. I said have fun not jump into trouble. But I guess I can't blame him. I'm still going to give him a lecture when he comes back."
"So am I for my sister," Sae said knowingly.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Zoshigaya, Tokyo, Japan
July 31st, 2018 7:30 AM JST
"See! I told you they were in Markovia!" A teenage girl with short dark brown hair boasted. She was holding up a laptop decorated with the Phantom Thieves symbol up to an older man with shoulder-length black hair and dressed in a black suit and tie.
"I get it Akane, you don't need to show it to me," Zenkichi Hasegawa laughed as he straightened out his rimless glasses. He was eating breakfast when his daughter came running over to show him the GBS website. "Besides, I knew about the Phantom Thieves broadcast the other day."
"Of course, you did," Akane puffed up her cheeks. "You just pretended that you didn't know anything! I'm the leader of the Phantom Thief fanbase and there are fans in Markovia who told me about it!"
"As you have told me multiple times already," Zenkichi chuckled. He straightened his tie before standing up. "Anyways, promise me that you'll do at least some unpacking while I'm out, okay? I have to get to work. There have been a lot of missing people lately and it's been giving the Agency a headache."
"I promise I will, dad. Plus, I'm sure you'll be able to find them," Akane said cheerfully. "I bet you can find the bad guys who took them as well."
"Thanks for the boost. I needed that," Zenkichi said as he made his way out. "Later, Akane. And don't worry, I promise that we'll take a short trip back to Kyoto for your mother's anniversary, okay?"
"Okay. Bye dad!" Akane called after him as he closed the door, leaving the house that he and his daughter had moved into. As he walked to his car, he thought about those kids. It's been a long time since he last heard from them. Now they are turning the world upside down again as the Phantom Thieves. He smirked at the unfortunate criminals who think they can hide their deeds.
"You brats better stay safe."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
On a plane…
"Would you be interested in tea, soda, juice, or water ma'am?" A flight attendant asked a brown-haired woman wearing a white lab coat, light blue shirt with stripes and black jeans.
"I think I will take a juice. Orange please," The woman said. The flight attendant gave her beverage. She took a sip and hums a satisfied tune. "Itadakimasu."
"A good choice, Ichinose, "A girls high pitched voice spoke up. Leaning against the window seat is a phone. On the screen is a red-haired girl with a small ahoge and seven hearts on each side of her head, all of them curving inwards like pigtails, wearing a white one-piece outfit. "Orange juice is a favorite beverage high in antioxidants and micronutrients such as vitamin C, folate, and potassium. Regular consumption benefits in improved heart health, decreased inflammation, and a reduced risk of kidney stones."
"A good drink to have," Ichinose said with a smile. "By the way, have you heard more from your friends Sophia?"
"I have," Sophia said. From the side, she pulled out a box with a video of a streaming GBS broadcast. "On July 31st, 1:15 following his confession, Baron Frederick DeLamb has been arrested for Meta-Crimes and treason. An investigation is underway, and the local police have raided a facility he has been using to experiment on patients."
"To sell into slavery," Ichinose with distaste. "To think I was a monster similar to that man…"
"But at least you made amends," Sophia said, tossing aside the box. "That man didn't care about the lives he destroyed and the futures that he stole. At least until my friends stole his heart."
"That they did," Ichinose regained her smile. "Would you like to visit them."
"That would be great!" Sophia beamed. "It's been a long time since we've seen them!"
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Haneda Airport, Ōta, Tokyo, Japan
July 31st, 2018 7:35 AM JST
In front of an airport stood a young woman with red hair tied in a ponytail. She wore a celeste blouse with black polka dots, white shorts and blue and brown sandals. Her eyes were glued to her phone, which is displaying the GBS broadcast.
"You save a lot of lives today Ren," The girl said with a soft smile. "You and the others."
"Sumire!" A car pulled up to her and a bespectacled middle-aged man stepped out from the driver's side.
"Oh, hey dad!" Sumire Yoshizawa puts away her phone and running up to hug her father. They held each other for several more moments before parting.
"Are you alright? Did anyone look at you funny?" Shinichi Yoshizawa asked as he loads her luggage in the back of the car.
"Nobody hurt me dad. Seriously, I'm fine," Sumire groaned as she sits on the passenger's side. Even after these years, her dad was still overprotective of her.
"I just wanted to make sure your return trip was safe and sound," Shinichi said as he takes the driver's side. He smiled at her. "Now where do I take my gymnastics champion? Your victory feast is on me!"
"Hmm…I feel like taking big bang challenge at big bang burger," Sumire said, feeling his stomach. "But I'm feeling up for Café LeBlanc's curry."
"Café Leblanc?" Shinichi asked. "I feel like you deserve something fancier."
"I love their curry," Sumire insisted. "Besides, I'm feeling nostalgic."
While her father drives, she pulls out her phone. Scrolling through the contacts, she found the one with Ren's name. It had been a long time since they had spoken.
Perhaps she should make a call right now.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
July 31st, 2018 7:44 AM JST
Shibuya was buzzing with activity for the early morning. People crossed the street and back to go about their daily activities. Some of them formed a crowd to where they could see an electronic billboard displaying the GBS channel. A reporter was giving an update about the Bedlam situation.
"At Markovia, the pre-coronation ceremony for Prince Gregor Markov took a turn when Baron Frederick DeLamb, uncle to the said prince, had confessed to meta-trafficking, human experimentation, and treason. Acting on the Baron's testimony, the Markovian police have raided the Markovburg Children's Hospital, discovering equipment and four unconscious teens that appear to be suspended in a tarlike substance."
"Experimenting on children?" A bystander asked. "What is the world coming to?"
"Baron DeLamb and two of his compatriots are in custody while the police are searching for anyone else involved. According to our sources, one day before the reception, a group calling themselves the Phantom Thieves have issued a broadcast declaring war on Baron DeLamb. In the broadcast…" The anchorwoman continued, displaying the Phantom Thieves of Hearts logo.
"Are they serious?"
"The Phantom Thieves are back? You mean that broadcast was real?"
"First corrupt politicians and now meta-human traffickers? They're really stepping up their game!"
"Oh yeah! Go Phantom Thieves!"
Over by the Hachiko Statue, someone got out of a taxi cab, paying the driver, before walking off.
"Have a nice day at work!" The cab driver said, who happened to the former Shujin Academy counselor, now taxi driver, Takuto Maruki, himself. He was a tall, bespectacled man with brown, short unkempt hair and a small stubble underneath his chin. He wore the standard Tokyo Taxi Cab Driver uniform, with the hat and everything. He drove off, before quickly being stopped by a red light. He took the chance to look up at the screen on the building, as the events in Markovia were still being displayed. He couldn't help but smile at this.
"Looks like the time has come for the Phantom Thieves of Hearts to rise again." He said, before frowning slightly. "But still, this can only mean that the Metaverse has somehow returned once again." He muttered to himself, before laying his eyes on the crowd of people moving across the Scramble Crossing. At that moment, his eyes widened when he saw someone among them. It was a young man with shaggy, neck length brown hair, wearing a tan peacoat with black buttons, striped black and white tie, black pants, black gloves and loafers.
"What the-!? Was that...?" He muttered to himself while rubbing his eyes, before looking back up, only to no longer see that particular person in the crowd any longer. "Was I seeing things? Maybe I'm just a bit tired from waking up early." He muttered to himself, thinking that he was just hallucinating, before driving off as the light turned green.
As he did, however, a crow flew down and perched itself on top of the signal pole, looking up at the same screen briefly. It cawed a few times before flying off somewhere.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Justice League Watchtower, Earth Orbit
July 30th, 2018 6:49 PM EDT
Orbiting the earth is the headquarters of the Justice League. Gathered inside are the world's greatest heroes. They sat at a u-shaped table watching a holographic screen replaying Baron DeLamb's confession.
"Wow…" Captain Marvel, a muscular hero wearing a red and gold accented costume with a thunderbolt logo emblazoned on his chest. "Did that guy just confessed to being a meta-trafficker."
"Indeed," Kaldur'ahm, the new bearer of the Aquaman mantle, confirmed. "Baron Bedlam has confessed to his crimes and is being held to await trial. I suspect that his syndicate has been behind missing persons and as we can now confirmed…deaths."
"At least he's been put away," Steel, a powered armor hero. "Any idea on what caused him to have a sudden change of heart?"
"We believe it's to be the work of this group," Kaldur answered. The screen is replaced by the logo of a top hat above a mask with a flaming eye. Below are the words 'Take your Heart' in newspaper cutout. "The Phantom Thieves of Hearts."
"The Phantom Thieves of Hearts?" Guy Gardner, one of their Green Lanterns, scoffed. "So, what do they do… steal our hearts? I mean, we kind of need them to live."
"We think it means something else," Wonder Woman, a tall fair-skinned woman wearing a sleeveless top battle-ready armor. At her side is a sword and a golden lasso. The holgorpahic screen split into several more, each showing a different image or video. "According to our intelligence, the Phantom Thieves are a group of vigilantes who target anyone they deem a corruptive influence in Japan. Due to the mysterious nature of their methods, we believe they are metahumans. They never stole anything of apparent value from their targets. Rather… they got them to own up to their crimes and beg for judgment."
"Wow…" Flash, a red and gold clad speedster whistled as he watched one of their old targets, a man named Ichiryusai Madarame, confess to art fraud. "While it's a little weepy for my taste, if they kept this up, we would be out of a job. How come we've never heard of these guys?"
"They became an international sensation over a year ago," Kaldur answered. "But I believe that it's when they appear as they please that we've forgotten about them. After the arrest of Masayoshi Shido, they vanished from public eye and memory. Months later, they reemerged only to vanish again. Until now… J'onn, do you believe that their methods could be telepathic?"
"That is a possibility," Martian Manhunter spoke stoically. "But we won't know for sure. We are prohibited from entering Markovia under orders from Secretary General Luthor."
"Even so, this is concerning," Wonder Woman said. "A group of metahumans manipulating the minds of their targets. We can't let this slide."
"But there has been physical evidence of their crimes," Kaldur pointed out. "Everyone targeted by the Phantom Thieves had been properly investigated and discovered guilty. Besides…Japan hasn't signed the charter. Even if we were aware of the Phantom Thieves existence, Japan is out of our jurisdiction."
"That could change," Wonder Woman warned. "What does Luthor have to say about this?"
"He hasn't said a word," Kaldur said, narrowing his eyes. "But I suspect that will change soon…"
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Scarab Temple, Greater Bialya
July 31st, 2018 1:56 AM EEST
Within the underground Scarab Temple, seven people have gathered in a circle for an emergency meeting. They are staring at a screen that played Baron DeLamb, or known by his alias Baron Bedlam, revealing his operation to the world. Needless to say, they are stunned by the fact that a power-hungry man had suddenly had a sudden change in personality.
"Someone want to explain to me what just happened?" A slender, dark-skinned woman, demanded. She wore a strapless gray mini-skirt dress with black pants, high-heel boots, a golden diadem, stinger-shaped earrings, an armband and a translucent pale blue veil hanging from her shoulders.
"Believe me Queen Bee, we are trying to figure that out," A bald man wearing a black suit, said calmly. But his tone barely betrayed that he was just as shocked as they are.
"I believe what happened was that we lost a steady supply of Meta-humans, Luthor" A large white gorilla with a brain-protrusion growled. The voice was coming from a vocalizer on a red harness. His eyes glared up at the screen as it displayed the logo of the group responsible for their loss. "No thanks to these Phantom Thieves."
"Take your heart? Oh, why haven't I thought of that?" A scraggy boy with long, thin limbs, a thin neck and an angular face cackled. His hair is a mop-top with v-shaped bangs and devil-horns rising over the ears. His clothing is predominantly black suit with a white shirt and an HRH collar. "Do know how fun it will be when I see the look in their faces when I tear their hearts out? What do you think, Teekl?" He asks the ginger-furred and tiger-striped cat he was holding.
The cat just simply meows back. "Meow."
The boy grows ecstatic by what the cat just said. "Ooooh, that's an even better idea!"
"Let's try to avoid whatever is going on in your head, Klarion," He is a tall, slender man wearing orange and black armor declared. His face is covered by a cloth mask with a black area that covers the right half of his face. "For now, can we salvage this situation? We lost valuable equipment there and a steady income of meta-humans as Ultra-Humanite said."
"We already have plans for Count Vertigos escape, Deathstroke" A tall, muscular male spoke in a baritone. He had a medium-dark skin tone with rugged features and broad shoulders. Across his face are three pale scars and had his long black hair pulled back. His attire is a lapel less dark-blue coat with a red stripe around the edges. "Despite this setback, we can turn this failure into a success. The nation will be shaken after Bedlam's revelation and metahumans will be greatly disliked once they realize that the man who caused them pain is a Metahuman as well. Our agent in Markovia has been given orders to cover up his involvement with us."
"So that's why we had him stand down, Savage" Deathstroke realized. "We can manipulate Prince—excuse me, King Gregor into operating under the Light's whims. With our agent, it will be easy and subtle."
"By imposing anti-metahuman laws, it will encourage strife among them," Luthor said. "In time, we shall present them a savior and Markovia will fall under our dominion."
"That's fine and all but what about the Phantom Thieves?" Queen Bee asked. "What do we do about them?"
"What about them?" A short, slightly overweight, Caucasian elderly woman asked as she steps into the light. Her brown eyes gave off a grandmotherly vibe. "They're just naughty children in need of disciplining."
"They shouldn't be taken lightly. These naughty children are sure to be metahumans, who have turned one of our most valuable pawns into a sobbing wretch," Queen Bee said distastefully, getting into her face. "If that's not enough, how about the fact that they possess a power that can turn members of the Light against us. They could very well bring everything, our entire operation, our entire organization, even the veil of secrecy we have developed crashing down onto us, exposing our existence to the world. In fact, they may even be able to steal your heart, as well as take down your operation, if they decide to go after you Gretchen Goode."
"You don't need to worry about Granny," Gretchen said softly, but with a hint of danger laced within her voice. "As she said, naughty children will get some discipline."
"Enough," Vandal spoke out, stepping in. "This bickering will get us nowhere. But Queen Bee has a point. These Phantom Thieves will become a threat more troublesome than the Justice League if left unchecked."
"Thank you Savage," Queen Bee said.
"First off…what do we know about them?"
"I have some contacts who told me that they operated in Japan," Deathstroke said. "Like Bedlam, there are people who confessed to the crimes due to the Phantom Thieves. All of their activities were focused there until now. I bet that somewhere in Japan, somebody knows who or where they are."
"Indeed," Vandal Savage nodded. It had been a long time since he had been in Japan. He had faced the warrior spirit of the samurai. It felt nostalgic that the Light would be facing people with the same spirit. But the age of Samurai died out a long time ago, and the Light is nothing like the Mongol Empire. Out of respect, he will send the best to face them.
"Gather our best operatives," Vandal Savage ordered. "We will select the crème of the crop to take out the Phantom Thieves of Hearts."
"That won't be necessary." A voice suddenly says, making just about all of them flinch in surprise. They then heard footsteps as someone steps out from the shadows. From the voice and body build, it appeared to be a young adult male, who was wearing a completely black bodysuit that features a red 'X' (with the lower-right point elongated to stretch across the chest to the bottom of the right pectoral muscle) placed over the top of the left pectoral muscle, an ash-gray utility belt that features a silver/light gray buckle, a pair of vertical cylinder-shaped tubes on the back of each pouch and a thin, horizontal red stripe through the middle of the backside, a pair of serrated ash-gray gloves that feature black outlines around the "serrated" portions, a single, large red 'X' on the palms and the back of the hands, a pair of black boots that feature an ash-gray outline around the edge of the soles (which feature an ash-gray version of the skull on the mask, but with red eyes that lack a thick black outline, and a red 'X' below it, on the heel), a black cape that features an ash-gray interior, a black helmet-like mask that features a white skull (that lacks the lower jaw) and a red 'X' placed in the middle of the "face", with the lower-right point of the 'X' elongated to end beneath the right eye. The "eyes" of the mask are white reflective lenses and are thickly outlined in black. "You just let the organization that I'm from take care of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Although, it would go a lot better if you and the organization I mentioned were to... work together on this." The person said.
"And just who might you be?" Deathstroke demanded, unsheathing his blade, before pointing it at the mystery man.
"We have much to discuss. And to answer that question, I go by the name... Red X."
That's the chapter involving DeLamb's confession done. Also, yes. Zenkichi and Akane Hasegawa do end up moving to Tokyo from Kyoto in my story. It's mainly due to Zenkichi's line of work. Also, the house they move into is the house in Zoshigaya that the Protagonist of the "Persona 5: The Phantom X" mobile game lives in. Also, I do not own the beta, it belongs to its respective creators. Furthermore... I've introduced Red X to the story! I'm sure that you all know what organization I'm talking about, since you've read I Am The Prophet's version of the story, back before he/she got rid of it, and before I adopted it. Also, here's the updated list of Arcana Representatives.
00. Fool Arcana = Ren Amamiya, AKA Joker
01. Magician Arcana = Morgana, AKA Mona
02. Priestess Arcana = Makoto Niijima, AKA Queen
03. Empress Arcana = Haru Okumura, AKA Noir
04. Emperor Arcana = Yusuke Kitagawa, AKA Fox
05. Hierophant Arcana = Sojiro Sakura
06. Lovers Arcana = Ann Takamaki, AKA Panther
07. Chariot Arcana = Ryuji Sakamoto, AKA Skull
08. Justice Arcana = Goro Akechi, AKA Crow
09. Hermit Arcana = Futaba Sakura, AKA Oracle
10. Fortune Arcana = ?
11. Strength Arcana = ?
12. Hanged Man Arcana = ?
13. Death Arcana = ?
14. Temperance Arcana = ?
15. Devil Arcana = ?
16. Tower Arcana = ?
17. Star Arcana = Naomi McDuffie
18. Moon Arcana = ?
19. Sun Arcana = ?
20. Judgement Arcana = Sae Niijima
21. Councillor Arcana = Takuto Maruki
22. Apostle Arcana = Zenkichi Hasegawa, AKA Wolf
23. Hunger Arcana = ?
24. Aeon Arcana = ?
25. Faith Arcana = Sumire Yoshizawa, AKA Violet
26. Hope Arcana = Sophia, AKA Sophie
Lastly, I thought I'd add an ending theme to this particular chapter. Let me know what you all think of it!
Carpe Diem by ASCA (I own neither of them)
Kasanete kita hibi ga (The days that have piled up)
Kuzureochita no wa naze da (Why did they crumble and fall)
Tomaranai jikan wa (Time that doesn't stop)
Itsudatte bokura wo kowashite iku (Always catches up and destroys us)
Oshikoroshita koe wo (A voice that was suppressed)
Nagetsukeru yoru wo mate (Awaits for the night to throw)
Yuzurenai asu wo iku dake to (Just go to the unyielding tomorrow)
Mou dare ni mo jama wa sasenai (I won't let anyone bother me anymore)
Dou nattatte ii to omoeru (I don't care what happens next)
Shunkan dake wo kakaete ikiro (Live the moment to the fullest)