A strange set of tremors within Leblanc left the group a bit dizzy. Once everyone got their bearings straight, there was one thing that caught Ann's attention straight away. "Hey...why's it so quiet outside?"
"I'm no sure." Haru said while looking around. With all the tremors, the lights in the cafe went out. "But it's completely dark as well..."
"Is everyone alright?" Hifumi asked. Everyone was able to answer with some varation of yes.
"This eerie sensation..." Yusuke began. "Could it be...have we entered the Metaverse once again?" It was a fresh feeling for him, so there was simply no mistaking it.
"No no no no no!" Mika shook her head. This was the absolutely worst thing to hear! "I was trying to LEAVE! Don't tell me I got sucked into another weird adventure with you guys! It hasn't even been 12 hours!" She could not believe this right now.
"It can't be...!" Makoto shook her head. "I mean, there's no way...it was..."
"But I still look the same." Morgana added. If they were in the Metaverse, he wouldn't be a cat! "And so do you." Nobody was in uniform!
"Then what the hell's goin' on!?" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Let's all calm down for a second..." Ren was trying to get a hold on the situation.
"Y-Yes, let's listen to Ren-senpai...! We should just take a moment and get our bearings..." Sumire said with a slow nod. Calming down would help her a lot...
"Y-Yeah! Let's calm down with a cup of joe!" Futaba said while grabbing a cup of coffee.
"Wait, Futaba, that's not...!" Sumire tried to stop her, but it was too late.
Futaba had a sip, only to spit it out. "Eugh!? Why was there CURRY in that mug!?"
"This is unnerving..." Hifumi rubbed her arm, sticking close to Ann.
"...Look at the door." Akechi was the only one to remain calm from start to finish. Everyone's attention turned to the door, where there was a strange symbol on it. "That wasn't there when we came in."
"And it's glowing...!" Morgana gasped.
"This is just Sojiro pulling our leg...right?" Futaba said, trying to cope. "Please tell me I'm right."
"This would be a very elaborate prank..." Yusuke said.
"Well...I-I guess...all we can do is...open it...?" Ryuji stared at the door with immense trepidation. Nothing was scarier than a door that lead to the unknown. Especially when it was door you were so familiar with...
"Okay...we might as well." Ren told the others. "I don't think we'll be finding another exit."
"That's true." Makoto rubbed her arm. There was a bit of tension in the air as everyone had to steel themselves for what went beyond this door...
"Okay, try the door but be careful. We'll be right behind you!" Morgana told Ren.
.
.
He opened the door. The very instant he did, the building vanished. Joker was in uniform...as were everyone else. He looked around, taking note of the unfamiliar scenery. It looked like they were in some sort of town, and there was a statue in the middle of it all. "What the...!?"
"We were just in Leblanc, aren't we!?" Skull asked while looking around.
"This has to be bad - we're in our Phantom Thief attire!" Queen pointed out.
The instant she did, Viper let out a whine. "NOOOOOOOOO..." This was the one thing she didn't want to happen. She was fine with capping off her experience as a Phantom Thief with the freaky Demiurge! The cherry on top was the death of Jerri. Anything beyond was too much!
"WAAAAAH!" A sharp cry cut through the tension. Everyone turned to the direction of the screams, seeing several strange creatures fleeing towards them. Behind them? Several soldiers with muskets, taking aim, firing, and gunning them down.
"W-What's going on!?" Panther gasped.
"I'm getting deja vu..." Violet said with a sweat drop. The soldiers gathered around the downed escapees.
"They're still trying to get away, huh?" One of the soldiers spoke. But then they noticed the presence of the Phantom Thieves. Their yellow eyes gleamed and they all started to approach in formation.
"They've spotted us!" Oracle gulped!"
"Not even a day's worth of rest before being thrown back into the fire..." Crow groaned quietly. But no matter. They had the numbers to take them on!
"Prepare yourselves!" Dragon said while pulling out her staff. "We outnumber them!"
"Split up and take them down!" Mona exclaimed.
"We can take them!" Noir nodded. She, Violet, Fox, and Crow went off to the right, while Dragon, Panther, Queen, and Viper went off to the left. This left Joker, Skull, and Mona to deal with the ones approaching from the center. There were plenty of boxes to use for cover, so that's exactly where eveyrone went first.
"These guys...they remind me of what we fought in The Streets..." Joker said aloud. But were they the same type of entity? He assumed them to be Shadows, but the longer he looked at them... "Are these even Shadows...?" There was hardly any time to deal with that question, because the enemies began to open fire with their musket. This forced Joker and the others to duck under cover.
"Man, what the hell are these guys!?" Skull asked, but he realized those questions could come later. As such, he decided that it was best to be on the attack. "William!" Although it had been a while, this was always second nature to him. His mask burned away, and his Persona appeared, sailing through the skies, much to the confusion of their new enemies. "Let's get em!" Skull pointed forward, as William fired off a strong bolt of lightning towards the Shadows. This explosion of lightning sent the troops scattering in all directions, but to his surprise, they weren't done just yet. "Huh...?"
"Getting rusty, Skull?" Mona taunted playfully. He knew that Skull would normally be able to take fodder like this out! But he'd clean up. "Diego!" Mona summoned his Persona and immediately felt it; his Persona felt a bit more difficult to summon for some reason. While he didn't let this stop him, it was not going to slow him down as Diego created a fierce gust of wind that blew away the rest of the enemy troops, finishing them off. "What in the world?"
"You felt that too, right?!" Skull said while staring at his hands.
"It felt like...something was trying to push back against my Persona summoning." Mona wasn't sure how else to describe it. Summoning a Persona was second nature, but it felt as if something was pushing back against that very nature.
"Just like The Streets..." Joker said while aiming his gun at a soldier, who had the misfortune of poking their head around the corner. What was the meaning of this? "Oracle, how are the others doing?"
Even with the difficulties of summoning a Persona for some of them, the Phantom Thieves were still able to lay a beatdown on the enemies! Noir had her axe in hand, spinning around as she crashed down on top of a group of enemies. Her raw power on top of the psychic energy released created a powerful shockwave to knock even the large Bruisers back. "We're doing great!" Noir said with a nod. She pointed to the left, summoning Lucy in the process, who began to bombard the foes with an onslaught of bullets. "Although..."
Queen was riding along Agnus, side swiping a number of enemies with a bit of a frown on her face. "Something about this place isn't right. I can still use my Persona like usual, but it's taking more effort..." And she didn't like it. This pressure was uncomfortable. She couldn't tell if these enemies were strong, or if this weight was pulling their power back...or a combination of both.
"This is just like yesterday..." Fox commented while slashing his sword forward, freezing a few enemies. Right after that, Crow finished them off with Hereward releasing a number of curse arrows that crushed them to nothing.
"We are in some strange world once again. How wonderful." Crow sucked his teeth. Not even a full day after The Streets, and he was being thrown into another blizzard situation.
"But what does it mean!?" That was the real question. Violet had no idea what was going on; then again, neither did anyone else.
"I HATE IT HERE!" Viper was the most frustrated out of everyone, stomping her foot on the ground. She was trying to LEAVE and she once again got dragged into something she had no desire to be apart of it! As such, her rage was taking place in form of Nuwa rampaging along the area without restraint.
"She's really mad..." Dragon said with a sweat drop. Not that she blamed Viper whatsoever.
"Celestine!" Panther wasn't going to be left out. She didn't enjoy how uncomfortable it felt to summon her Persona, but she'd power through it. Celestine chucked a fireball at a group of enemies, completely wiping out what was left of them. "Whew..." Between being fired upon, and the slight strain of using a Persona, this was a little harder than she was expecting.
"Everyone's clear!" Oracle reported!
"Hah!" Skull said with a few exhales. "How'd you like that?!" He was a little more tired than he could've expected. But they did it!
"Good thing we wrapped that up...I'm kind of worn out..." Mona said with a few breaths.
"Even when I'm used to this feeling, it doesn't feel quite right." Joker said. But they had a bunch of enemies laid out on the ground. They triumphed over the onslaught. At least, that's what it seemed like. Because there was a low rumbling sound that was steadily growing louder. "Huh...?"
"Uh...you guys hear that?" Skull asked while looking around. "It sounds like it's gettin' closer...!"
And closer it got. The soldiers that were laid out on the ground immediately stood back up, quivering in their boots. They knew what that sound was. "Lady Marie is en route! Prepare for her arrival! Make way! Make way! Make way for Lady Marie!" And then they scattered to get into position.
"EUGH! Why do they sound like that?!" Viper gagged. Their grating, distorted voices really irritated her!
"Marie? Who's that?" Violet blinked.
"I would like an answer to these questions..." Dragon grumbled.
The answer would come soon. One of the soldiers blew into a large trumpet, and from the building nearby, an armored tank with spiked treads barreled onto the scene. There was a woman, skin tone pink, clad in wedding white atop the vehicle. The armored tank came to a halt, and she planted her foot on the driver's back, standing up with a bouquet in hand. "Who's the ruler of this land!?"
"Our lady Marie!" The soldiers chanted.
"And having your lives in my hand...?" Marie asked.
"Brings us joy every day!"
Satisfied with this rehearsed response, the woman called Marie gave a sinister chuckle, lifting her bouquet into the air as spotlights flashed on her. "That's right! Ahahahahahaha! Well, are you ready to join me for the rest of your lives?"
"Oh I already hate her so much." Viper rolled her eyes. "Her ego drives me insane!"
"Hellooooo, people? Wake the hell up and seize them!" Marie's sweet tone was not incredibly demanding.
"She's their leader...!?" Violet gasped. Not only that, but more of the dubious soldiers spawned into existence from her demands.
"Reinforcements!?" Dragon gulped.
"Uhhh, bad news! I've got readings coming from all directions!" Oracle warned. More and more soldiers appeared around the Phantom Thieves; even with their numbers, they were being swarmed. Even against enemies and numbers like this, they were going to struggle.
"We're surrounded?!" Panther gasped.
"And we're not even at full power..." That had Queen worried the most. She was confident in their strength, but when they were weighed down like this...
"We are the servants of Lady Marie! She gives us power, and we obey!" The soldiers exclaimed in unison!
"I'm gonna off myself if I have to keep listening to these voices!" Viper growled, angry that she was dragged into this, having to listen to these annoying soldiers, and now staring down Marie! Everything she hated was all in one place!
"We have to retreat!" Joker told the others. "We'll break through their defenses!"
"Take this!" Skull used his pipe to smash one of the soldiers away. Crow joined him with his sword, smashing one into another. "We still got gas in the tank, so we're not outta this yet!"
"Nice move, Skull! Crow!" Violet beamed. Still, the more they took out...the more that spawned.
"If we eradicate everything in one fell swoop..." Crow thought aloud. It was an idea, but one that was rapidly becoming less and less feasible with the neverending horde. Normally, a horde would end at some point! They've witnessed it in the past. But this? This was completely different.
"We're getting nowhere at this rate!" Fox cut three down, and six more showed up!
"It's almost like there's no end to them!" Noir frowned.
Skull went on ahead, swatting a few more smaller soldiers out of the way. Even if they were suppressed in some way, SKull wasn't going to slow down one bit! "Joker, you go on ahead! I'll help the others and-!"
"Skull, behind you!" Mona exclaimed suddenly.
Skull didn't realize it, but two larger soldiers appeared and grasped him by the arm and his head, keeping him completely restrained. "Shit...!"
"Ooooh, got one!" Marie sang.
"Sit back and watch the show!" Marie demanded. "You're all nice and grouped together for me! This is all of you, right?" Marie was standing in front of them now, and she was like a giant before them all.
"She's massive?!" Oracle began to cough.
"What in the..." Joker's eyes were wide.
"Skull, we're coming!" Panther exclaimed, but she was stopped by Dragon. "Huh?! Why-!?"
"Don't move!" Dragon pleaded.
"Stay with the group...!" Queen said.
"We shouldn't dare take a step closer. Not while they have Skull's head within their grasp." Crow said calmly. Although his eyes narrowed beneath his mask.
"Oh, some of you do have brains after all!" Marie said with a mocking laugh. "One more wrong move...and you know what happens, right?"
"Let Skull go, you coward." Joker demanded, not in the mood to play these games.
Marie, however, did not enjoy that defiance. "Uh, did you just issue mean order? Do you not know how things work around here?" Clearly these brats needed a lesson in obedience. One she was happy to provide.
Skull, refusing to stay down, struggled within the grip of the large soldiers. "Joker! Guys, don't worry about me! I know you can take her out in a heartbeat! Just get it over with!"
A heavy sigh passed Marie's lips. "Oh, my. These manner less little brats. They're beginning to make me sick."
"Feeling's mutual, freak!" Viper exclaimed.
Marie's eye twitched at Viper's comment. "In that case...I've got just the thing for you."
"Dammit! Just what are you...!?" Skull started, but he was cut off.
"Keep your mouth shut. I'll show you soon enough. And you'll never dare to give me lip again!" Marie laughed, her tank slowly driving forward. She stood in front of Skull and kneeled slightly, just to get a closer look at him.
"Get your damn mits off me!" Skull growled.
"Hmmmmm..." Marie lifted a brow, vaguely interested in what she saw. "You may be crude, but you have an interesting power, don't you?" In response, Skull grunted in her face. Marie laughed and stood back up. "What a mouth on you. What to see what I can do with mine?" She brought her fingers to her lips and blew a kiss at Skull. It was a deadly kill that caused Skull to cry out on contact, as something was happening to him that he couldn't begin to explain.
"Guh!? GAAAAAAAH!?" Skull screamed in agony.
"Skull!" Panther cried out in worry.
"AHAHAHAHAHA!" Marie laughed as she threw a large ring forward, causing it to clasp around Skull's neck like a collar. An explosion of pink followed through, and Skull...was a different man. There was a strange aura flowing around him, his mask was pure white, and there was a lipstick mark over his left eye. "Congratulations! You now serve me! Your first order: KILL THEM!"
"Yes ma'am." Skull's voice was distorted; his voice was still there, but Marie's was now seeping into it. "WITH PLEASURE!"
"Is he really going to attack us!?" Mona had his saber ready. Of course, despite all the bickering he and Skull did at times, he didn't actually want to hurt him. But they couldn't just let Skull run rampant on them either! Skull suddenly lunged forward, lightning sparking around his pipe as he leapt at Joker and Mona. He slammed his pipe on the ground in front of them, an electrical discharge exploding outward. It caught the two of them and sent them flying back. Skull pursued, but his pipe was stopped by Crow's blade.
"What an irritating sight this is." Crow snarled. Attempts at manipulation pissed him off, as stated once before. But this was full mind control. So he was extra irritated. On top of this, he had no qualms of bringing anyone harm. His blade was coated in curse magic and he swatted Skull's pipe away, before slashing down at him. It wasn't with lethal intent, but to subdue him. Skull slid back from the direct hit...and faced Crow with a grin. "What? He didn't even flinch..." He knew he dealt damage, so why...
"Ngh..." Skull placed his hands on his mask, one eye clenched shut as he was trying to tug it off. Whatever control Marie had on him wasn't fully complete and he was actively attempting to fight it off somehow. "Damn it...who the hell...do you think you are...!?"
"Skull!" Joker exclaimed.
Marie's eyes narrowed. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You serve ME! So act like it!" She barked her orders. She knew her power was absolute, so what was this brat trying to accomplish.
Crow realized that despite Skull's efforts, he was fighting a losing battle. "This is going to hurt you more than it will me." Crow said as Hereward appeared beside him. Skull was a bruiser tank of a fighter, so allowing him to run rampant under enemy control was just not an option. As such, Hereward fired a curse arrow at Skull that exploded on contact. This blew Skull back and he let out a cry of pain in the process. "So he felt that one..."
"Hey!" Mona exclaimed.
"He wasn't going to make it." Crow stated bluntly. "At least we have a little more breathing room!"
Crow was right. Skull got back up, breathing heavily, but his attempts at defiance were shut down once again. He was back under Marie's control. "Skull, you need to snap out of it!" Panther pleaded.
"Skull-senpai, please!" Violet shouted. They saw that brief flicker of rebellion, so they knew it wasn't impossible!
"I don't know if we're getting through to him anymore..." Dragon frowned.
"There we go!" Marie was finally getting the outcome she was expecting. "It appears my Kiss of Love does work on you brats after all! Even if there are some complications, there's nothing a little personal treatment can't fix! As for the rest of you, your scurrying around has grown tiresome. But I'll put a stop to that! I'm going to make you all mine!" She lifted her hand, creating a large pink hair.
"Oh crap!" Joker shouted. "LOOK OUT!" The heart exploded and dozens of fragments flew in every which directly. Joker and and Mona were able to dodge due to being the furthest away...but the others?
"MOVE!" Panther acted on instinct, shoving Dragon away and down to the ground, taking the bullet for her.
"ANN!" Dragon's eyes widened as she stumbled back, only saved because Panther protected her. The others weren't so lucky. They tried to move, but the hearts struck them. Violet flipped to avoid it, but unfortunately, she had no where to land, and the moment her feet touch the ground, she got struck.
"I don't think so!" Crow made an effort to slash through the incoming heart, but his sword went right through it. His eyes widened in that moment as he was struck. "NGH!?"
Noir made the same mistake. She swung her axe, not realizing it was a futile effort. "Ah!?"
"FU...!" Viper cursed as she tried to shield herself, but she got slammed hard. The others just fell: Queen, Fox, Oracle, Violet, Crow, Viper, Panther, Noir, and Skull...were all under Marie's control.
"No...!" Dragon brought her hands to her mouth in horror.
"She got everyone but us..." Mona's jaw dropped.
"We are the servants...of lady Marie..." Noir and Panther said together, but their eyes twitched and closed, clearly attempting to fight it off.
"She gives us her power...and we...o-obey..." Queen and Fox were next. Despite the power of the mind control, they were not going to just idly stand by and allow themselves to be controlled.
"Woo...! G-Go, Lady Marie..." Oracle and Violet struggled to speak.
"You rule, Lady Marie!" Skull exclaimed. Viper, despite the control, was biting her tongue in defiance. The words refused to come from her lips.
"Ahhh, that's what I like to hear." Marie let out a content sigh, but then scowled at Joker, Dragon, and Mona.
"Let them go, right now!" Joker said while pointing his gun forward. Forget the odds, he wasn't going to let this woman do what she wanted with his friends.
"Quick little things, aren't you? How awful...who do you think you are to defy me? How dare you dodge my kiss!?" Marie then sighed, before a wicked smile appeared on her lips. "Fine, we can take a different approach." And with a flick of her wrists, collars latched out onto Dragon, Mona, and Joker's neck. Instintively, they attempted to pry them off, but to no avail.
"What are these?!" Dragon grunted.
"I can't get it off!" Mona shouted.
That was almost everyone. But with a loud cry of agony, Crow's power to go berserk activated. A red and black pillar exploded off of him, causing Marie's eyes to widen. In the next instant, a bullet was flying towards her, and she quickly leaned off to the side to avoid it...however, it struck her shoulder. "AGH!?" Marie looked over at Crow, who was panting heavily. Breaking that sort of mind control took a lot out of him, but he'd be damned if this egotistical woman strung him along! "You...!?"
"Crow...!" Joker was sure glad to see Crow break free, but he was still unable to get the collar off of him.
"Go to hell." Crow snarled. Mentally, he was exhausted from that, needing to put in way more effort than usual to break free. Marie's mind control was truly powerful.
"YOU BRAT!" Marie sneered, whipping her hand out to collar Crow as well. Someone brow free of her control!? That had never happened before. What was his deal!? Why was he defying her? How was he defying her!? "Defying my kiss!? I see you want to join them! Fine, let's go for a ride! Ready for a little spin!?" She was not going to give them the option. "Now, let's get ready for the ceremony! It's showtime!" Her driver hit the gas, beginning to drive around the statue, dragging Crow, Joker, Mona, and Dragon along for an awful ride. They could not help their cries of agony as they were forcefully dragged along. "Ahahahahahaha! So lovely! Their cries of agony make this day complete!" The driver came to a halt, which flung the four of them into the air. "It's just like I've always dreamed! KNEEL OR DIE!"
The four collapsed into the ground after that. They were wounded and beat up after a ride like that, and Marie was drinking in every minute of it. "Ngh..." Dragon had one eye clenched shut, glaring up at the woman standing before them.
"Hahahahaha! How marvelous! And how fitting, for you four despicable rats to end up on all fours!" Mairie thoroughly enjoyed taunting them. "Well? Have you learned your place? Do your wounds hurt? Is this torture for you? Maybe if you lick my heel, I'll consider easing up a bit. "She smiled, tilting her head with an arrogant smirk.
"...I've...had worse..." Dragon said while standing to her feet. Marie's eyes briefly widened. Despite their situation, despite how much Dragon hated losing, she was not going down like this. She refused. "Is that...the best you can do?"
"Gh..." Crow groaned lowly. But he was standing as well. "Go to hell." He repeated, managing even more venom in his words than before.
"Shut up." Joker said defiantly. No matter the situation, he would always resist. It was in his very nature.
"NGH!" Viper managed to break free of Marie's mind control. There was a loud burst nearby, and she stumbled forward, panting heavily. She looked even worse for wear than Crow did, but her ego simply refused to be at the mercy of another. It was through sheer willpower, and the way she had to use her own venomous claws on her exposed thigh. "I refuse..." She looked like she was about to pass out though, but she kept that defiant glare.
Marie was growing more and more irritated with each passing second! Who the hell did these BRATS think they were!? "You've lost your comrades, been dragged to bits, and yet you still have this gleam in your eye. You really, really, REALLY, REALLY don't get it, DO YOU!? This is MY kingdom! I rule over YOU! All of you should be groveling and singing MY praises! HOW DARE YOU BREAK FREE OF MY KISS!? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" She screamed at Viper and Crow, letting her true, ugly side show.
"Screw you, bitch!" Viper would stay conscious as long as she needed to to irritate Marie.
"Kingdom...?" Mona said weakly.
Marie then took a deep breath. She was letting her anger get the better of her, but no, she was better than that! "It appears you've all taken the painful route. That's fine. With enough torture, I'm sure you'll learn to serve me."
"You don't get it, do you?" Joker said while holding his arm. "Those masks we're wearing...they're a sign of rebellion. You may have gotten your hands on them, but did you really think they'd just sit there and take it!?" As Joker said this, Marie whipped around, worried more people may break free somehow. They were doing far more than a normal person! The Phantom Thieves still under her control were shifting about, struggling in an effort to pull their masks off. They didn't know how to break free, or what to do...but as long as they had their Personas, they would rebel. That fire within them wouldn't be extinguished so easily.
Marie took another deep breath. She could see that she really needed to break these new recruits in. That was fine...this was her subjugation with a few extra steps. "You talk big, but look at all of you. You can barely stand. That's what happens when you defy me." Even if they tried to fight, she knew they couldn't do much! That look in their eyes was pissing her off, though.
"We have to get out of here..." Mona said weakly. They were talking a big game, but this was one of the worst situations they'd ever found themselves in. A tactical retreat was necessary if they wanted to survive.
"I'd rather die than suffer any fate as her slave." Crow spat. But he'd also rather live than die here. Retreat was their only option.
Marie reached down and grabbed Joker by the front of his coat, lifting him off the ground. Since he wanted to mouth off so badly, he would be the first one. "I'm going to especially enjoy breaking this one. Oh...where to even begin?"
"Screw...you..." Joker hissed in pain.
"We have to do something..." Dragon was trying to figure out a plan. They were outnumbered, wounded, and many of their friends were effectively incapacitated. This was a pinch if she'd ever seen one, but conceding was simply not an option. They just needed an opening to retreat, and maybe...
Marie noticed something. A glint off the corner of Joker's mask. Wait.. "Huh?" She turned around, and just in the nick of time. A hooded assailant dove forward with a spear. They aimed for Marie's arm, and she was forced to drop Joker in the process. There was a cloud of smoke from the impact, and the assailant lunged forward once again, aiming to strike Marie with their speak multiple times. Marie swiftly evaded the attacks, lifted her bouquet, and aimed for her mysterious attacker. They evaded, but the hat fell off. "Care to introduce yourself, party crasher?"
The assailant grabbed their cloak and tossed it off. Who were they? A woman with short, light violet hair. A bang covered one of her eyes, and she wore a military-esque uniform. Her red eyes glared into Marie's soul as she stood defiantly in front of her. "The name's Erina." She spun her spear around, a gust of wind bellowing out in the process. She pointed her spear at Marie, and made her declaration of war:
"The name's Erina. And I'm the one who will see you overthrown!"