7/26/20XX
Saturday: After School
Shujin Academy
After dealing with Kaneshiro, the Phantom Thieves laid low for a bit, both for the sake of not drawing unwanted attention... And preparing for Finals...
Over the course of time between Kaneshiro's arrest and the night of Tsubasa's private concert for the Thieves and her family, the group had been studying for Finals on and off. Most of the Phantom Thieves had no trouble preparing themselves for Finals Week, with Hibiki getting special assistance from Miku when needed (And Ryuji basically getting a tutor in the form of their newest member Serena). Regardless, through varying degrees of stress or lack thereof, the Thieves passed Finals. With them in the rear view, Hibiki and Miku walked out of their class with pride.
"Honestly, I'm not sure why I worried so much about Finals." Miku said confidently, looking over at Hibiki, who looked very relieved. "Hibiki?"
"Ugghhhh..." Hibiki sighed. "My brain hurts, Miku..."
"That's what happens when you put your mind on studies." Miku chuckled. "The important thing is that you did your best in your Finals, and I'm proud of you for that, Hibiki."
Hibiki smiled hearing this. "Thanks, Miku. I mean, all of this was possible thanks to you, though."
"Come on, give yourself some credit!" Miku sighed, before noticing a familiar redhead out of the corner of her eye. "Oh, hey Kanade-Senpai!"
"Hey, Miku-chan..." Kanade replied with a slightly forced smile on her face.
"Is everything alright, Kanade-Senpai?" Hibiki asked, putting aside her worries for those of her Team Captain's
"Oh, yeah no, I'm doin' fine! Just Post-Finals decompression is all." Kanade answered in her more usual confident tone, stretching as she recomposed herself. "Actually, I was plannin' to head down to the Boxing Club room to let out all my Finals stress on one of the punching bags. Either of you down for a pre-summer spar?"
"I would, Kanade-Senpai, but I really need to get some sleep..." Hibiki reluctantly answered. "I stayed up late every night to make sure I could pass Finals..."
"Hibiki..." Miku groaned. "No wonder your brain hurts. You need to let your brain sleep, ESPECIALLY when it comes to Finals!"
"I know, I know..." Hibiki replied.
"Well, I would join you, Kanade-Senpai, but I should make sure that Hibiki gets home safely without passing out." Miku said regrettably to Kanade, who nodded in agreement to the idea.
"I mean, if you wanna hang out with her before Summer Vacation, we can walk Hibiki home dess." Kirika said as she and Shirabe walked over to the group.
"Oh, heya Kirika, Shirabe!" Hibiki said, waving to the duo. "How did your Finals go?"
"They went really well, actually." Shirabe answered. "Kiri-chan and I were able to get a lot of studying done between Finals as well as before, so we were prepared for anything they threw at us."
"Not to mention, the vibes at the Inn really helped keep us motivated to work, not to mention the beds there are perfect!" Kirika added.
"Mmm... A perfect bed..." Hibiki mumbled as she started dozing.
"...Let's save the sleep talk until she's back home, Kiri-chan." Shirabe said, a bead of sweat dropping from her forehead from feeling as though Hibiki could pass out any second, and talking about it could only make their job harder.
"Yeah, that's on me..." Kirika agreed, a bead of sweat appearing on her forehead as well.
"You sure it's okay if you can take Hibiki home, though?" Miku asked. "I have no problem doing it-"
"C'mon, Miku! Let us help you out here." Kirika interjected as herself and Shirabe put Hibiki's arms over their shoulders. "We'll let you know when she gets home safe."
"You don't need to carry me like this, girls..." Hibiki said, with little resistance. "I... Can still... zzzzzz..."
"Wow... She was not kidding about not getting sleep." Kanade said quietly.
"I think whatever adrenaline she was running on for Finals finally wore off." Miku added. "Thanks again, Kirika, Shirabe."
Kirika gave a thumbs up with a smile as Shirabe nodded with a smirk. "Have fun, you two!" Kirika said as they walked away.
Kanade and Miku waved as Kirika, Shirabe, and Hibiki walked away. Once they were out of sight, the duo started to walk towards the boxing club room to do one final spar before Summer Vacation...
Shujin Boxing Club Room
Once in the boxing club room, the duo go into their gym clothes and let out their Finals stress in their sparring match. At first, the match started slow, but as they went on, the combatants let out more and more of their power: Stronger punches, quicker movements, neither fighter was going to hold back. After a couple minutes, the duo started to get tired, and it was reflected in their fight as it neared its finish, with Kanade landing the final punch.
Falling onto the boxing ring floor, Miku caught her breath as her vision started to blur from exhaustion. After a couple seconds, she could see clearly again, seeing Kanade standing over her with a smirk on her face, she, too, still catching her breath. "Man... That... Was a good match!" Kanade exclaimed as she reached out a hand to help Miku up, the floored combatant taking the hand gladly. "Crazy to think how far you've come after only a couple months, Miku-chan. Hell, I'd say you and Hibiki could probably match each other in the ring."
"I think we can both agree that she'd knock me flat in a couple seconds." Miku stated. "Like, not to say you couldn't, but we both know that she tends to go all out a lot faster than either of us."
"True. True." Kanade chuckled. "Still, it's impressive that you've managed to get to our level in very little time."
"Well, I've had a good teacher, for starters." Miku said, making Kanade blush. "That being said, I'm sure I still have a long way to go to even consider going as far as you or Hibiki do in boxing. Granted, I'm mostly doing this to be able to defend myself should I need it, but still."
"Even still, knowing boxing from a physical and mental level is no easy feat. I know it's not your thing, but at least it's good to know, should you decide to go pro." Kanade stated. "But I digress, that was a perfect match to start off summer break, even if it's still a couple days until it starts."
"Yeah, as much as I wanted to make sure Hibiki got home safely, I also knew this would probably be the last time I would be able to talk with you before summer break." Miku said, earning a raised eyebrow from Kanade. "I just figured you'd probably be busy over the summer, so I wouldn't have the chance to chat with you for a while."
"Me? Busy over the summer? Nah." Kanade chuckled. "I'm usually pretty open over the summer. Do you have my number?"
"Hibiki gave me it a while back, yeah." Miku answered. "Let me get my phone and I can give you mine."
"No need, Miku-chan. Hibiki-chan already gave it to me." Kanade said.
"Honestly, that does not surprise me." Miku chuckled. "Either way, good to know."
"Well, since we got all of that out of the way, we should probably wrap things up and call it a day." Kanade said. "I'm sure you have plans post-Finals, yeah?"
"I do, actually." Miku answered, as herself and Kanade got out of the ring and went to the locker room.
Shibuya
After leaving the boxing room, the duo walked with each other to the train station, and eventually got to a point where they would go separate ways, chatting about life along the way. However, before they left each other, Kanade got serious for a second.
"Say, before you go, Miku. I have a question for ya." Kanade said, getting Miku's attention. "Do you ever have one of those days when you feel like... Wrong?"
"...What... What do you mean, Kanade-Senpai?" Miku asked.
"I mean, like, you know what you want to do, what you need to do, so on, so forth. But, deep down, you just have those days when you look in the mirror and it's all like, 'Is this really what I want?'" Kanade asked. "Sorry if this is all of a sudden, but I just felt like you were one of the only people I could ask about this on a serious note."
"It's fine, Kanade-Senpai." Miku said reassuringly. "What brought all this up?"
"It's just one of those things that keep creeping in the back of my mind, especially as of late, what with me graduating next year and all." Kanade answered. "Obviously this'd be something I'd talk with Dr. Ver about, but I figured I'd get a second perspective on things, since we've been hanging out a lot, too."
"I see." Miku said, thinking about Kanade's question further. "Well, to put it into perspective, I used to be a huge Track star in my hometown, basically unrivaled for a while, but then I met Hibiki and it changed me from that being my full focus. I'm sure Hibiki's told you how we met."
"In more detail than I could recall what I ate for breakfast a couple days ago." Kanade replied, getting a chuckle out of Miku. "But, what eventually made you stop?"
"I focused more on my social life than track, but I'd say the turning point was, well..." Miku had trouble saying what she wanted to say, but Kanade's look on her face seemed as if she had an idea. "Did... Did Hibiki ever tell you about what happened to my parents?"
"Not directly, but I kinda pieced things together over time." Kanade admitted. "I'm sure it's a touchy subject, but I just want to say my condolences."
"Thank you, Kanade-Senpai." Miku replied. "Sorry if that kinda dampened the mood. I know I started this off trying to help you out, but..."
"It's fine, Miku-chan." Kanade interjected. "If anything, it did help ease my doubts, in a way. Ironically, it did also bring to mind what I told you earlier about boxing: Keeping my options open and knowing what else I'm good at. Of course, boxing's definitely something I'm gonna try and pursue after Shujin, but still."
"I get what you mean, yeah." Miku said. "Glad I could help, then!"
"Well, I shouldn't keep ya from your other friends any longer. Have a good night, Miku-chan!" Kanade said, waving to Miku as she left.
"You too, Kanade-Senpai!" Miku replied, before thinking more on Kanade's attitude shift. "I wonder if that had anything to do with Kanade-Senpai's sister Kasumi-san and Sumire-chan mentioned."
"There is a good reason why Kanade's never mentioned having a sister, and if you know what's good for your relationship with her, never bring it up."
Thinking about this, Miku ultimately decided to drop it. "If she wants to talk about it, I'll wait for her to start that conversation. Otherwise, not my place to pry." With that said, Miku went to where the Phantom Thieves planned to meet up after Finals: The Underground Walkway.
Saturday: After School
Shibuya Station: Underground Walkway
After talking with Kanade, Miku met up with the Phantom Thieves, who were a mixed bag of exhausted and relieved. "Sorry I'm late!" Miku said, getting the group's attention.
"It's all good, Miku." Serena replied. "If anything, you're just on time. Kirika and Shirabe just got here."
"We were actually about to text you that we got Hibiki back home safe." Shirabe added.
"Also, Tachibana-san said she wasn't sure when you'd be back, but there'd be food ready when you get back dess." Kirika said.
"That is if Hibiki doesn't eat it all when she wakes up first. Hehehe." Miku chuckled. "So, how did Finals go for everyone?"
"It's gonna be nice actually being able to get some sleep again..." Ryuji sighed.
"I see... So you also over-studied like Hibiki did?" Miku asked.
"I wish..." Serena mumbled.
"Nah, I just played video games all night." Ryuji answered. "Kudos to Hibiki for goin' that far, but slackin' off is just part of who I am..."
"You're a perfect exemplar of what escapism can mean." Yusuke stated.
"I'm pretty sure he's the dictionary definition of it at this point." Serena sighed in agreement.
"Why're you jabbin' at me? You helped me study!" Ryuji said.
"Not without a migraine's worth of frustration!" Serena retorted. "But, to your benefit, you did eventually get what I was trying to help you understand."
"Thank you." Ryuji said, finally relieved Serena gave him the credit he deserved. "Now then, let's talk about something that actually matters: The Phantom Thieves' popularity! Ain't it amazin'?!"
"I will admit, it's crazy to think how differently our lives have become over the course of only a couple months." Miku answered.
"And only a couple weeks for Serena and I's sake." Makoto added.
"On the way here, Kitagawa and I overheard chatter of people speculating who our next target will be." Tsubasa stated.
"Now that the public eye is staring down at us, we will have to choose our next target carefully." Yusuke added.
"Thankfully, we've got plenty of time to think about it." Miku replied.
"What we should be thinking about right now is our celebration party!" Ryuji said.
"But, I thought Tsubasa's performance at C.A.F.F.E. Café was a celebration party." Serena stated.
"While I appreciate the sentiment for my performance, Serena, I would place that more as a celebration for my own personal growth rather than a proper celebration for changing our target's heart." Tsubasa replied, gaining a raised eyebrow in confusion still. "It'll make sense. For now, however, I would trust Sakamoto's process."
"Thanks, Tsubasa!" Ryuji said with a smile and a thumbs up. "So, you remember that briefcase that we got from Kaneshiro?"
"Yeah?" Miku asked.
"Well, between studying and gaming, I actually managed to sell it." Ryuji explained. "And this is where things get good: We got one hundred and fifty thousand yen out of it!"
The Phantom Thieves were collectively taken aback by that reveal. "That's incredible!" Shirabe gasped.
"I take back any jokes I had prepared for you about Finals." Kirika stated, getting a glare from Ryuji. "What? We all knew I was gonna say something dess! Serena just beat me to it."
"...Anyways, we gotta go eat something fitting for takin' down a mafia boss!" Ryuji stated, going back on topic.
"What would exactly fit an accomplishment like that?" Tsubasa thought aloud.
"Maybe... Sushi?" Shirabe suggested, which made Ryuji's eyes light up.
"That's perfect! I could really go for some eel, too!" Ryuji gasped.
"The best method is to fill yourself on ginger before beginning to eat sushi." Yusuke said. "That's my master technique."
"How many times have you done this, Kitagawa?" Tsubasa asked concerningly.
"Yeah, that's not a good idea, really." Makoto added.
"I'd imagine Hibiki would be down for sushi, as well." Miku said. "She'd probably go on and on about it if she were here."
"Then it's decided." Kirika stated. "We celebrate our victory over sushi!"
"We'll go after the results of Finals are posted, then! But for now, I'm gonna go pass out at home." Ryuji said, the group nodding in agreement with the idea.
"Let's meet back up here after school that day so we can all go get sushi together." Miku replied. "See you later!"
Saturday: Evening
?
Later that night, as the Phantom Thieves went to their homes to relax after a long week of Finals, an orange-haired girl typed away at her computer. On the screens were various details: Footage of the Phantom Thieves in action, research notes, and schematics for a mysterious structure. As she typed away, she was also listening to the news in the background.
"Regrettably, the cause behind the recent psychotic breakdown incidents is still unknown."
"I've got everything I need to present my case to them, but even though I made that deal, what's stopping them from just declining my request..." The girl said with a sigh.
"Onto other news, the international hacktivist group Medjed has released a statement to the Phantom Thieves."
This caught the girl's attention almost instantly, pausing her train of thought to listen closely.
"The details of the message as posted on Medjed's website are as follows: "To the Phantom Thieves causing an uproar in Japan: Do not speak of your false justice. We do not need the spread of such falsehood. We are the true executors of justice. However, we are magnanimous. We will give you an opportunity to repent for your ways. If you agree to a change of heart, we will accept you as our own. If you reject our offer, the hammer of justice will find you. We are Medjed. We are unseen. We will eliminate evil."
The girl scoffed at that message. "Talk about amateur hour... Although, if they're not bluffing, this may be exactly what I'll need to make my case." This line of thinking made the girl smirk as the opportunity fell into her lap. Suddenly there was a knock at her bedroom door, which surprised the girl briefly. "Come in!"
With this, the door opened, revealing a man with slicked back black hair and a beard, wearing a pink shirt, pale khakis, and white loafers. "Just wanted to let you know that dinner's ready." The man said.
"Oh, okay. I'll be right there. I just gotta finish up something real quick." The girl replied. "By the way, on an unrelated note, would it be okay if I had the keys to Leblanc again sometime next week?"
"Again?" The man asked. "You know, you could just invite this friend of yours here, right? Your mother and I would be willing to give you some privacy."
"I know, but it's usually better if I can do it somewhere I know it'll be more private, if you know what I mean." The girl said, getting a raised eyebrow from the man. "Please?"
The man sighed. "Lucky for you, I'm planning to close shop early on Tuesday since I promised your mother a date night. But I expect you to sweep the attic this time, young lady!"
"Deal!" The girl said happily. Just then, her stomach growled, which made her get up from her chair. "The rest of my work can wait until after dinner."
"I'd imagine you would have trouble working on an empty stomach." The man chuckled. "Good thing it's curry night."
"Yippee!" The girl cheered, following the man to the kitchen as she closed the door to her room.
7/29/20XX
Tuesday: After School
Shibuya
Days later, as they planned, the Phantom Thieves went to the sushi bar, enjoying a meal deserving of their victory as they chatted about their lives, their test scores, and more importantly, Medjed.
"So, you all saw the threat that Medjed group put out about us?" Ryuji asked.
"Well, it was all over the internet, so you'd have to live under a rock to not see it." Serena stated. "The real question is how real of a threat this actually is."
"Personally, it just comes off as clout chasing using anonymity to try and scare us." Kirika replied, stuffing her face with sushi as she said this. "Om the over hamd, immitabion ib the bess form of flabbery, desh."
"Kiri-chan, don't speak with your mouth full." Shirabe said irritably, making Kirika quickly chew and swallow the sushi in her mouth, before letting out an embarrassed chuckle. "But she's right. It could easily be mimicking our calling cards just for the sake of getting a rise out of us."
"I mean, it sounds like they're pretty well-known from all of the gossip I've heard around Shibuya and Shujin." Hibiki stated. "You sure it's a good idea to brush them off like this?"
"Ah, you worry too much, Hibiki." Ryuji said casually. "I mean, if this were a real threat, I'm sure we would've received a sign to prove it by now."
*Bing*
Suddenly, Miku's phone went off, which confused everyone because of the timing. Due to this slight paranoia, Miku checked her phone while everyone watched intently.
?: I'm sure you saw the news, correct?
Miku was confused by the vague question, and her expression confused everyone else. "Who is it, Miku?" Hibiki asked.
"I don't know... But I have a hunch..." Miku replied, typing into her phone.
Miku: Alibaba?
?: I know it's been a minute, but I assure you, I'm contacting you for good intentions only.
"'Alibaba'?" Kirika asked.
"Like the tale from the Arabian Nights?" Shirabe added.
Alibaba: I know our interactions in the past were very brief, but my feats in those moments should back up my words when I say Medjed is not one to be taken lightly.
"What're they talkin' about?" Ryuji asked.
"Alibaba was responsible for giving me Kaneshiro's name when we were having trouble finding him." Miku answered. "I'm not sure why they're contacting me now, though..."
Alibaba: I was originally intending to reach out to you about our deal soon, but with recent events, this seems like a perfect opportunity for us to help each other.
Alibaba: Can we meet later tonight? Same place as last time.
"You made a deal with this rando?!" Ryuji asked.
"It was a risk I was willing to take." Miku stated. "I'll explain later, but let me just see something."
Miku: I can, yes. On one condition.
Alibaba: You wish for the other Phantom Thieves to join us, don't you?
Miku's eyes went wide, but she recomposed herself shortly after.
Miku: Yes.
Alibaba: It was my hope that they would be present when I presented the details of our agreed favor of mine.
Alibaba: I'll see you all in a couple hours.
Miku tried to text Alibaba back, but the text failed to send.
"So are you going to explain your cryptic pen pal or...?" Ryuji asked.
"In my defense, they reached out to me first, and considering our options at the time, it was the lesser of two potential evils." Miku replied. "Granted, when I first met up with them, they made sure to tell me that we had no need to worry about them exposing us."
"And that was enough for you?" Makoto asked, before getting glares from everyone. "Right, I don't have any room to speak..."
"Well, I guess all that's left to do is finish up this sushi and head over..." Ryuji sighed. "You know, at least it's a good last meal."
"Ryuji!" Hibiki shouted.
Tuesday: Evening
Café Leblanc
Finishing up their celebratory dinner, the Phantom Thieves went to where Alibaba was waiting for them, with Hibiki being the guide to their destination: Café Leblanc.
"So, are we expected to just break in?" Ryuji asked.
"There should be a key somewhere if this is anything like last time." Miku said, searching around the door for a key, before eventually finding it in the nearby plant. "There we go."
"We're actually doing this..." Makoto sighed as Miku opened the door.
"It's not to my liking either, Niijima, but it's a necessary evil for the sake of our livelihoods." Tsubasa replied, reassuring Makoto what they were doing was just.
Entering the building, the Phantom Thieves looked around Café Leblanc as they followed Miku. "Y'know, I wouldn't mind checking this place out when it's open." Kirika whispered.
"Oh, this place is really cool, actually." Hibiki whispered. "Boss swings by C.A.F.F.E. Café and chats with Master every now and then. He actually teaches me a few things about coffee-making, too."
"'Boss'?" Serena asked.
"Oh, Sojiro Sakura-san." Hibiki answered. "He's the owner of this café. His customers like to refer to him as Boss."
"I see..." Serena said.
"Alibaba must be close with this Boss guy if he's willing to let them use the space like this." Ryuji stated.
"A question that will have an answer soon enough." Tsubasa replied, placing a hand on her bag.
"Did... Did you bring your sword, Tsubasa?!" Serena said worriedly.
"It's just a practice sword." Tsubasa answered. "I bring it with me everywhere, should I need to defend myself."
"Yeah, that'd hold up in court..." Shirabe sighed.
"Try to not threaten Alibaba, please, Tsubasa." Miku added. "They should be up the stairs back here."
Following Miku, the Phantom Thieves went up the staircase leading to the upper storage room, where a chair under a single light sat, with a person in a green hoodie sitting in it. "We meet again, Phantom Thieves." The person said in a muffled voice.
"Alibaba?" Miku asked.
As if to answer, the person turned around, revealing the same outfit Miku saw last month, down to the bizarre mask over their face, which made all but Miku and Tsubasa take a step back in shock, the latter of the two who didn't move put a hand on her bag.
"As I said over text, this meeting was still bound to happen, but I figured it'd help if we could knock two birds with one stone." Alibaba stated.
"How did you know we were the Phantom Thieves?" Makoto asked.
"You mean outside of the coincidental connections between your targets and you guys, or the fact I could literally find every detail on each of you down to the letter?" Alibaba asked in retort as they pulled out their phone. "Truth be told, I've also been aware of the Metaverse for a while."
"You know about the Metaverse?!" Kirika gasped, seeing the MetaNav on Alibaba's phone.
Seeing this, Tsubasa's mind wandered. "Wait... If that's the case, then... Shadow Madarame and Shadow Kaneshiro were telling the truth..."
"Wh-What about the other one though? The one with the black mask?"
"Beware the woman with a black mask. They know this place like the back of their hand. Compared to her, you are nothing..."
Thinking about those moments, Tsubasa grit her teeth and pulled out her sword, stopping it just before Alibaba's mask, which made the masked stranger panic. "Are you the black masked woman?"
"Tsubasa, calm down!" Miku shouted, moving the sword away from Alibaba and standing between the stranger and the swordswoman. "Just because they know the Metaverse, doesn't confirm that they're the one we were warned about!"
"And how can you be certain?" Tsubasa asked. "We know next to nothing about them, and yet, they know everything about us. Personally, their enigmatic approach to this meeting already sets off several red flags."
"Th-Then allow me to put an end to that." Alibaba replied, reaching to take off their mask, their hands shaking rapidly. Once the mask was off, the Phantom Thieves were surprised by the long orange-haired girl that sat before them. "Can you please lower the sword?!"
"Wait... Futaba-chan?!" Hibiki gasped, running over to calm down Tsubasa. "Hold on, Tsubasa! She's not an enemy!"
"You know this girl, Tachibana?" Tsubasa asked, her stance lowering a bit.
"Yeah! She's Futaba Sakura! Boss' daughter and Elise-chan's best friend!" Hibiki answered.
Hearing her cousin's name, Tsubasa sheathed her sword and bowed her head. "My sincerest apologies, Futaba-chan." She said. "It was wrong of me to make such a brazen assumption, much less about a friend of my cousin."
"It's alright, Tsubasa-san." Futaba replied. "Next time though, try to go along with the theatrics before holding someone at blade point, yeah?"
Tsubasa grabbed her arm in embarrassment at how she acted. "Wait, I'm so confused now." Hibiki said aloud. "You're a super hacker lady, Futaba-chan? But Boss isn't nearly as tech-savvy."
"Do... Do you think people get all of their skills from their parents? Even if that's how that worked, Sojiro's my step-father." Futaba retorted. "Now, any other questions before we get back on track?"
"I guess to save time later: How exactly did you get the MetaNav?" Miku asked.
"Well, I got the app after accidentally getting too close when I was following you all around in Shibuya. One moment I was in the station like normal, but then everything turned red and black." Futaba stated. "Eventually, while I was looking around for a way out, I saw another me, talked with them for a bit, and suddenly got some crazy new suit, manifested a ship, and found my way out."
"So you just casually managed to manifest your Persona within Mementos?" Kirika asked.
"Well, my mom studies cognitive psience, so once the other me mentioned who they were, the situation made a lot of sense." Futaba explained. "Doesn't mean I didn't still feel exhausted after getting out of the Metaverse.
"'Cognitive science'?" Ryuji asked aloud.
"'Psience', with a P." Futaba corrected. "But that's enough questions for now. Can we get back to why I called you all here?"
"Right. Back to business." Miku said in agreement. "So what was the favor you wanted from us because of the Kaneshiro deal?"
"Well, originally, it was simply going to be me requesting a change of heart, but since Medjed have decided to make themselves an annoyance, I figured I'd lend my assistance in that fight." Futaba answered. "Medjed's a massive hacktivist group, as you've been made aware, but they're nothing in comparison to me."
"So you wish to join our cause, Sakura?" Tsubasa asked.
"That's what I am suggesting, yes. Even if only for a single mission." Futaba answered. "Granted, I'm more than willing to stick around for longer than that, seeing you could use a proper navigator."
"Eh?!" Kirika gasped. "I'll have you know, we have a plenty capable navigator already!"
"When I was watching your efforts in those palaces, it definitely seemed like you needed some navigation, unless you meant to go into all of those dead ends." Futaba retorted. "Of course, I only say this from the perspective of someone with a Persona that's not exactly built for combat, and I mean no offense in suggesting myself to be your navigator, either."
"I say we give her a chance, Kirika." Miku added. "I mean, all things considered, it did seem like it was stressful for you to both navigate and fight at times. This could help you out most of all."
Kirika looked a bit saddened by the suggestion at first, but after some thought, Kirika could see the logic. "You know what, it would be nice to actually be able to relax a bit rather than consistently give 110% in two fields..." Kirika said, getting happier as she went on. "Okay, I'll allow you to join our organization, Futaba-san dess."
"I mean, it sounded like everyone was already on board with the idea, but thanks for your approval!" Futaba said.
"Now that just leaves Medjed and this favor of yours." Yusuke stated.
"Oh, Medjed's gonna be a cakewalk for me to silence. I can deal with them as soon as tomorrow." Futaba chuckled, before her expression became a bit more serious as she pulled out her phone. "As for said deal, there's a specific target I need your assistance in triggering a change of heart in."
"I mean, we've already dealt with three of these before, and several smaller targets in Mementos, so how bad could this one be?" Ryuji asked. "Who is it? An infamous criminal? A corrupt politician? Medjed themselves?"
"I wish that were the case." Futaba said, hesitant to show who it was. "Your next target, or rather, our next target, is her."
Futaba showed the group a picture of a smiling child with blond hair. "Who is this?" Shirabe asked.
"And why do they look familiar?" Hibiki asked.
"This girl is Elfnein Malus Dienheim." Futaba stated. "At least, that was her name once."
"What do you mean by that?" Miku asked.
"Well, you see, this 'Elfnein' goes by a new name now." Futaba said, hesitantly swiping the picture away to reveal a familiar red haired teenager, which made Hibiki, Miku, and Tsubasa especially feel as if their hearts sank to their feet.
"Elise Kazanari."
A/N: And with that, we end the chapter!
I know this one's a bit shorter than other chapters, but since the stakes this time are a lot less severe, what with Futaba being there instantly, I figured this one could be shorter for the sake of how much detail I'm planning to give for the new palace in the coming chapters.
That being said, I might as well share some information about this AU's version of Futaba:
In comparison to her canon self, this Futaba's a bit more social from the start. Granted, she's only got one close friend in that of Elise due to their dads being buddies. (Futaba considers herself a big sister to Elise, so doing stuff like contacting the Phantom Thieves for a change of heart is not something she does proudly.) Aside from that, Futaba's usually to herself in public, with exceptions when she's around people that share her interests.
Additionally, as mentioned in the chapter in passing, Wakaba is still alive in this universe. I'll go into better details as to why later on, but there is a good reason for it. (Futaba and Sojiro are still close, too. In fact, she tends to help out a bit at Leblanc from time to time.)
I'll share more information regarding Futaba and her family as the story progresses, but for now, this is where I'm going to leave things off. Thank you all again for reading this chapter! Stay tuned to my socials (Bluesky, Tumblr, and/or Youtube) for Updates, Memes, and other content. But for now, I shall see you all in the next one!