Joker, Crow, Noir, Violet, Dragon, Zen and Rei stepped into the You and Wonderland Labyrinth. The atmosphere was surprisingly dreary with red skies and clouds. As one might expect, there were numerous Wonderland themed sightings. It was as if they stepped right into Alice in Wonderland!
"I'm not sure what I was expecting when we stepped inside." Violet admitted while taking a look around.
"Be careful! I sense Shadows in there!" Oracle reported. While she wasn't physically present, she appeared as a blue hologram whenever she communicated with the group. So the labyrinth's were dangerous after all!
"..." Rei was a little tense. She let out a shaky breath the moment they stepped inside.
"Rei, there's no need to be scared." Zen said calmly. Rei nodded slowly. It was at that moment that the pair realized the group's clothes changed! "Your clothes…what happened?"
"Oh! We didn't explain that part…" Noir admitted with a bashful smile. "We'll explain everything when we're done here."
"They do look cool…" Rei's eyes sparkled at the sight of the Phantom Thieves in uniform.
Akechi took a look at Violet's Phantom Thief attire. He had to mask the surprise he felt. "Yoshizawa-san…that is your, how do they say…rebel appearance? It's the first time I've seen you in this light." He couldn't help but notice the stark similarities between her and Joker now that he got a good look at them side by side.
"Mhm!" Violet nodded. She felt a little nervous about all of this, but one look at Dragon told her things would be alright. So she trusted that. Considering their circumstances, they wouldn't be able to hide this forever. "Like I said, I haven't had my Persona for very long. I'm not really a Phantom Thief right now either. But I was told they operate on codenames, so I decided on Violet. What's yours, Akechi-san?"
Akechi took that information in slowly. Ultimately he would have to think about it later and simply responded to Violet's question. "My codename is Crow."
"...Is it because of the mask?" Violet found herself trying not to snicker too hard. Crow saw this coming but elected to ignore it.
"..." Dragon didn't say anything. But Crow's words caught him within a lie and she knew it.
"..." Joker felt a little strange when they stepped into this strange place. Something was stilting his movement and his power? He wasn't entirely sure, but he didn't like it. "Let's move forward, slowly. Our goal isn't to get into a fight. We're just scouting a little bit."
"Okay. Let's go." Zen said with a careful nod.
With that, the small group carefully made their way through Wonderland. It truly was a labyrinth, with numerous twists and turns around every corner At the very least, the path they were taking was mostly straightforward. They didn't come across any shadows, but they did stop in front of a set of piano keys that functioned as a door. "Um…" Violet stared at the door. "I think this is a door?"
"It feels like there is a lot more to this place than meets the eye." Dragon surmised.
"I'm picking up even more beyond that door. I think this place is huge." Oracle reported. "You guys should probably turn back for now."
"Oracle's correct." Crow nodded. "It doesn't make sense for us to delve deep with such scant numbers."
"So we're going back?" Zen asked.
'Yeah." Joker replied. With that, the group exited You in Wonderland for the time being. It was the best course of action with the limited information they did possess. Of course, it wasn't going to be that easy. Because it was only the moment they decided to leave, did Shadows spawn upon them. "Of course."
"Here they come…!" Noir said while getting her axe ready. Rei hid behind Zen, as the group were attacked by two Laughing Tables and a Lying Hablerie. "W-What kind of Shadows are those!?" They were unlike anything the Phantom Thieves dealt with so far.
"The flying mouth is a little gross." Dragon admitted with a sweat drop. "And are those tables!? They might as well throw the kitchen sink at us at this point."
"Is that a joke?" Violet blinked. Dragon gave a bashful shrug. The time for jokes were gone, however. The Laughing Tables cast Mabufu, throwing numerous chunks of ice towards the Phantom Thieves.
"I got this! Venus!" Dragon called forth her Persona, but it wasn't what she expected. Instead of the proof of her resolve appearing, it was just Belle Star. She was confused, but her actions were still the same. "Aegis!?" Belle Star placed her shield in front of the group, which allowed her to soak up the damage. But merely summoning Belle Star felt like it took a large toll on her. "Ngh…?"
"Thanks, Dragon! Noir, with me!" Joker said and Noir followed Joker went to the right, while Noir went to the left. Joker pulled out his gun, while Noir pulled out her rocket launcher. The two pulled the triggers with their fingers, however…
Click.
Click.
Nothing happened.
"It doesn't work!?" Joker spoke with wide eyed surprised. In the next instant, the Lying Halblerie moved towards him, violently swinging its wet tongue at him. He brought his arms to block the attack. The tongue struck his arms, and he felt how wet his coat was after. Gross…!
"Watch out!" Zen revealed his weapon: a crossbow. He took aim at the Lying Hablerie and fired. The arrow he released turned into a small cyclone that swept the flying mouth away, towards Noir.
Noir took advantage of this and swung her axe at the Lying Hablerie, cleaving it in half with ease. "That still works, at least!" She smiled, although she would've been lying if she didn't feel like she was weaker than usual.
"Incoming!" Crow exclaimed. The Laughing Tables were still active, and they were flinging small bolts of lightning towards the group. They all found themselves dodging to the side as a result. Crow's mask burned away as he planned to go on the offensive. "Take them down, Robin Hood!" Robin Hood appeared in front of Crow, taking aim and firing off an arrow of light. It pierced a Laughing Table, but it wasn't quite enough to finish it off. "What?"
"I got it!" Violet jumped over Crow, swinging her rapier at the Laughing Table he attacked. The damage he dealt left it weak, and she was able to finish it off with a few precise swings. "One left!"
"Haaah!" Dragon swung her staff around, slamming it into the remaining Laughing Table. The force she used was enough for it to slide to the side, but not enough to end it. "Ah? A swing like that would normally do the trick on its own…"
"I'll finish it!" Joker's mask burned away, Arsene appearing beside him. "Eiga!" Is what he intended, but it was not what he had. Instead of a moderate blast of Curse magic, he instead used Eiha. The smaller blast of curse was still enough to take out the Laughing Table, but he wasn't happy about it.
"All enemies eliminated!" Oracle reported.
"Is everyone okay?" Rei approached the Phantom Thieves and held her hands together. A soft, curative glow appeared from her. Dragon and Joker's injuries were healed.
"Oh…thank you. Yes, we're fine now." Dragon replied. "Although…"
"Did anyone else feel…restricted?" Noir stared at her rocket launcher, a bit sad that it wasn't working in this world.
"For lack of a better term, yes." Crow gave a slightly annoyed nod.
"Looks like we have more to report." Joker's eyes wandered to a piece of the Laughing Table that was remaining after its defeat. Curious, he knelt down and picked it up. "I wonder what this is for…."
.
.
Ren and the others returned from the brief excursion into You in Wonderland. When he did, he informed them of the shortcomings they faced. Ryuji had wide eyed shock. "You mean our guns don't work in there!?"
"They are props at the end of the day. I suppose the Metaverse's logic doesn't apply here." Akechi said.
"Furthermore, the Shadows we encountered were…far different than what we have faced. And my Persona felt weaker. She reverted back to Belle Star…!" Which upset Hifumi a little bit, considering she just awakened to Venus only yesterday!
When they returned, Futaba had a small report to give them. "I used my powers the best I could. I felt a little weaker than usual and that explains it. Prometheus turned back into Necronomicon." She reported, but shook it off. "But I could still detect a pretty large presence deeper inside! I have no doubt it's a large Shadow."
"Isn't that lovely…" Ann let out a small sigh.
"If we intend to get out of here, I see we must do battle with that enemy." Yusuke said.
"It always comes down to a fight." Hifumi expected as much. "That means we'll need to prepare adequately…"
"Prepare how?" Zen questioned.
"It would be best if we could find a place that can provide us with weapons." Makoto answered. "We usually have a supplier when it comes to medicine and weaponry, but seeing how we're stranded here…" It was going to be difficult to procure those usual supplies.
"Oh, I know a place!" Rei spoke while holding a corndog in hand. "It has tons of stuff! We can even stop by the donut shop along the way!"
"This girl knows how to eat." Ann approved of this. So they all followed behind Rei, who did stop at the donut shop as promised. They soon entered a brightly colored room, with a mat that had strawberries all over were a few other things scattered about the room, like a few statues, clothes…
Noticing the sign, Haru decided to lean in and read it. "A hands on class on making small toys! It says…"
"Something doesn't seem right about all that." Ryuji took a look at the statue with a sword stabbed into it.
"Is this really a workshop of some kind?" Kasumi scratched her cheek. It didn't feel like one.
"Handcrafted Workshop…Was it always like this…?" Zen was trying to recall if the workshop was always like this.
"Zen! Zen!" Rei grabbed Zen's sleeve and gestured to the ground. "There are strawberries! They're like berries full of straw!"
"I don't think…" Makoto pressed her index finger to her forehead. It was better that she didn't correct Rei on this.
"Hey, wait a second!" Ryujo poked at the sword in the statue. "These are just toys!"
"Oh…are they no good?" Rei pouted. She thought she had a good idea!
"Don't worry. We can assist you with that." An unfamiliar female voice caught everyone's attention. The group whipped around, only to see a woman and a man standing in the room. They were wearing Velvet Room attire just like Justine and Caroline were. The woman had a donut in her hand.
"W-What the…?" Ren took a step back. The appearance of these two completely surprised him. "Velvet Rom…?"
"Did we startle you?" The man in blue asked, giving a curt bow afterwards. "My apologies. It was my sister's idea to wait for you in this room."
"That's not creepy at all." Futaba grumbled.
"They are dressed similarly to those two twins we encountered earlier. The blue is strong with them. It stands out quite a bit." Yusuke commented, looking over the new pair's clothing.
"Where did you guys come from?" Ryuji asked, a little wary of their sudden appearance.
"And how long have you been standing there?" Akechi asked, very skeptical of these two people who suddenly appeared.
The woman chuckled in response to his question. "We are always by your side, any time, anywhere. My name is Elizabeth. This here is my younger brother, Theodore."
"Pleased to meet you - my name is Theodore."Theodore said with another polite bow.
"I don't get what's going on here." And Morgana was giving up on trying to figure it out.
"This world is full of mysteries. My own comprehension cannot keep up in the least, either." And it took a lot for Yusuke of all people to say this. At this point, the Phantom Thieves, Rei, and Zen decided to introduce themselves.
"So this is where you were, Inmate." Justine opened the door and Caroline followed her inside. The two of them walked into the workshop, only to lock eyes with Theodore and Elizabeth. "Huh…"
"Elizabeth…those two…." Theodore whispered to his sister.
"...Hmm?" Elizabeth took one look at Caroline and Justine and knew something was wrong. The face the twins shared, and those eyes…they belonged to Lavenza. How strange. Whatever the case… "I see. Now listen here, Theo: it would be uncouth to meddle in things beyond necessity."
"But, Sister…" Theo realized it as well. Even though it was his job as Velvet Room attendant to remain on standby and assist, it felt wrong to leave things as they were.
"Nothing meaningless happens." Elizabeth said calmly. "There must be a reason for our summoning to this place. And searching for that reason may be another necessity."
"Who do you think they are…?" Caroline whispered to Justine. There was a strange feeling tugging at her chest when she looked at Elizabeth and Theodore.
"I feel as if they are connected to our own existence. Who knows what our master will have to say about this. Let's not delve any deeper for now." That was Justine's take on the matter.
"I suppose you're right. As long as they don't interfere with the Inmate's rehabilitation." Ultimately, Caroline could agree with this.
"Velvet Room attendants. Can you explain why you're here?" Ren was going to try and get this conversation back on track. They had a surprising amount of people to work with, so getting everyone on the same page was important. "Caroline and Justine are my attendants. Does this mean there are other people with…powers like mine? And that you work for Igor? The guy with the deep voice?"
"You are correct." Elizabeth replied with a nod. "My guest has been stranded within this strange world along with his companions. My brother and I were brought here by strange means within the Velvet Room. As for our master, his voice is rather soothing."
"Soothing...?" Ren blinked a few times. If she found that deep voice soothing, he wasn't going to correct her anything. Different strokes and all.
"Based on your response, you must be a Wild Card along with my sister's guest." Theodore surmised, and Ren nodded. "I don't have a guest of my own, but I will do my best to provide support in this strange endeavor. It is the job to aid those with ties to the Velvet Room. We siblings will lend you our assistance."
"Yes, Theo will be happy to do so." Elizabeth foisted all the work onto Theo without a second thought.
"Elizabeth…." Theo wanted to object. But as the youngest sibling, he…really didn't have a say in the matter. "Very well. Well then, everyone. Please allow me to create equipment and expendables for you here. I believe you will be able to obtain some from the Shadows within the Labyrinth."
"Like this…?" Ren held out a piece from the Laughing Table he took earlier.
"Precisely. I can show you." Theodore accepted the Shadow Piece. Within a few seconds, he crafted a new knife for Ren.
"Whoa…this actually looks pretty good…!" Ren accepted the knife, a little excited with how good it felt in his hands, too.
"She's totally forcing all the hard work on her brother…!" Futaba whispered to the others. They nodded.
"At least he's willing to help us for free!" Kasumi smiled.
"Oh. No. We will need payment for them." Elizabeth said and everyone's jaw dropped.
"We will?" Theodore looked to his sister, confused.
"What do you need money for?!" Ryuji asked. They were supposed to be helping them.
"That is how a contract works." Elizabeth nodded and turned to Theodore. "It's a means of compensation so that you don't slack off. Put simply, a give-and-take system is necessary."
"I see…!" Theodore nodded. Of course, Elizabeth was correct! He turned to the Phantom Thieves. "Well then, though it wounds me to do so, I will charge a suitable price for said items. I will do my utmost to be of assistance to you. So I hope we get along well.
"I think she just ripped us off…." Ann spoke with a sweat drop.
"Oh, Ren!" Theodore took a step closer. "What you hold there is a fascinating piece of a Shadow! It's very rare!" And on a second glance. "Oh, wait. Nevermind. It's just lint."
"...Is this guy for real?" Ryuji spoke with a deadpanned expression.
"I think he's doing his best…" Haru spoke with a gentle smile. Someone had to try and stick up for Theodore.
"At least we can properly equip ourselves here." Hifumi saw the silver lining. As absurd as this situation was, it was good for them.
"Well, Theo, you are now the master of this establishment. Do your duty well and try not to embarrass yourself." Elizabeth then held up a pink apron. "Here, a present for you. It is a uniform that I prepared for just such an occasion."
"Why…did she have that ready…?" Morgana could only question the events playing in front of him
Theodore accepted the apron with wide eyes. "Elizabeth…thank you! I will do my best not to disgrace our master and your name, and…." When he fully pulled the apron out, it was even more embarrassing than everyone thought. There was a big pink heart in the middle as well. "Er…surely you didn't mean…THIS is my present?"
"Does she really expect him to put that on?" Caroline had a hard time believing it. At the same time, she thought it suited him in a strange way. Not that she'd say that part out loud.
"Why not try it on?" Elizabeth said.
"Er…." Theodore wasn't exactly a fan of this. He had doubts and it was written all over his face.
"Why not try it on?" Elizabeth repeated. This time, her big sister tone came through. She was no longer asking. Even Justice and Caroline found themselves a little stiff at Elizabeth's words. If she asked something ridiculous of them with that tone, they felt like they wouldn't be able to say no either.
"Uh…." Theodore relented. He put on the apron in front of everyone. "Is this…the correct way to wear it…?"
"Oof…" That's about all anyone could say.
"It doesn't compliment his natural colors at all." Ann shook her head. The model in her was speaking.
"I agree. This is a very poor aesthetic choice." Yusuke nodded in agreement.
"Now that I look at it on you…" Elizabeth leaned closer.
"It's a strawberry!" Rei chimed in, holding a donut above her head. "Bears like to sip them from the straw!"
"Moving along now!" Elizabeth clapped her hands, motioning for the Phantom Thieves and company to follow her. "I have also found a suitable place for you to recuperate in the event you grow tired of labyrinth."
"Um. Elizabeth. Are you going to finish that sentence…?" Theodore asked. However, Elizabeth just ignored him. The answer was no.
"Good luck in your new duties going forward." Justine told Theodore. "I suspect your assistance will be a great aid to the Inmate and his rehabilitation."
"Those aren't exactly words you should be using to describe Velvet Room guests. While I know you are taking responsibility for his growth, he is more than just a prisoner..." Theodore corrected, but Caroline smacked her baton against Theodore's new work desk.
"Just stay here and sell your wares! We know what we're doing and what's best for him! We're doing exactly what our Master told us to do!" Caroline narrowed her eye at Theodore. It was a glare, but ultimately she relented for a reason she couldn't explain. Of course, they were supposed to aid Ren's growth and foster his strength. But why did it feel slightly wrong now their methods were being slightly challenged by someone just like them?
"Caroline. We have work to do." Justine said calmly. Theodore's words did shake something within her as well, but she just wasn't sure. She was...missing something. She wondered if Caroline felt the same way. With that, the twins made their exit, leaving Theodore alone.
"I wonder what happened to you..." Theodore mumbled. Their Master, Igor, treated a guest like this? Something felt strange. He wondered if they would find the reason why...
Elizabeth led the group to the Nurse's office. It was nothing exciting. "This is just a nurse's office?" Akechi noted.
"I was expecting a bit more…more." Ann admitted.
"With more time, I could have made some adjustments for comfort, but we'll have to make due." Elizabeth replied with a hint of disappointment. She was looking forward to it. "I will set things up so that your stamina will return here."
"We still appreciate the help." Makoto replied to Elizabeth's aid. While she was still trying to wrap her head around the whole Velvet room attendant thing, it was clear based on the attitudes of the twins, Theodore, and Elizabeth, they were really here to help.
"It is our duty to aid our guests. Though we may be busy or the work tiresome, we will carry it out." Elizabeth said curtly. "That's why I insist on asking for payment for my services."
"What do you mean this isn't free!?" Kasumi, Ryuji, and Hifumi all exclaimed at the same time.
"As I mentioned, this world mandates a give-and-take system. I cannot go against such laws, either." Elizabeth stated.
"I…I think you can afford to bend the rules a little bit here…" Ren stared at Elizabeth with a sweat drop. Elizabeth was really pushing the whole money issue.
"In any case, that should help you prepare for battle. You have a large group, but be mindful of the encounters you may face. And if possible, I ask that you find my guest who has been lost in the labyrinth as well." Elizabeth said while taking a seat. "He is a young man with blue hair and he wears headphones. He is currently wearing black attire as well, with a red armband. I do not think you can miss him.""
"Sounds like he stands out. We'll keep an eye out for him." Ren promised.
.
.
With the help of the Velvet Attendants straightened out, the group gathered in front of You in Wonderland once again. "Those people in blue certainly are…something." That was the nicest way Hifumi could put it. The twins were a little forceful, Theodore naïve, and Elizabeth was the most eccentric of them all.
"At least they're willing to help us. It saves us some trouble." Ren was glad for that, at least.
"Does this mean we're prepared to go back inside?" Zen asked the group.
"Yes." Hifumi replied. "Now that we know what to expect, and we have the ability to return when needed. The expedition will be much easier."
"Oooh, I can't wait to see what everyone else's outfits look like!" Rei exclaimed with a donut in hand.
"Oh, right. We do have one more thing to explain." Ren looked to Zen and Rei. "When our outfits change, we take new names as well."
"New names?" Zen was a little confused.
"We're Phantom Thieves. So our names change to fit when we're in uniform." Ren said. Admitting this aloud almost felt risky, but Rei and Zen clearly had no idea who or what Phantom Thieves even were, so it was safe. "For example, my Codename is Joker."
"Joker…" Rei repeated with a few enthusiastic nods. "Oh! And Akechi was called Crow because of the big nose on his mask, right?!"
"Ah, well, that's not entirely…" Akechi let out a low grunt of disbelief. Rei was totally getting the wrong idea. "To me, that is the attire of one who sticks to their justice."
"Who sticks people with their long nose of justice." Rei nodded, completely missing the point. Akechi let out another groan. Clearly, this was not a fight he was going to win. It did make the others snicker. "So what are the rest of your codenames?"
"I'm Mona!" Morgana said proudly.
"Oh. I thought it'd be something like…Kitty." Rei admitted.
"I am NOT a cat!" Morgana huffed.
"But you meow. You have paw pads. Cat ears. A cat tail…." Rei could go on. Each catlike aspect she named of Morgana caused him to frown.
"A-Anyway." Ann decided to get back on track. "My Codename is Panther!"
"And you can call me Skull!" Ryuji pointed at himself with a grin.
"I'm Fox." Yusuke stated.
"My codename is Queen." Makoto said.
"Oooh! Does this mean you wear a crown and have royal garb!?" Rei looked to Makoto with sparkling eyes. Nobody could fault her for having this assumption.
"W-Well, no, not quite…" Makoto scratched her cheek.
"She's called Queen for…an entirely different reason." Hifumi cleared her throat. "My codename is Dragon."
"Because of your mask?" Zen asked, and Hifumi nodded. It made sense to him.
"Your Kimono was really pretty! But are you sure it won't fall off?" Rei tilted her head at Hifumi. Hifumi cleared her throat once again and looked off to the side.
"It's fine…." She spoke quietly. Another reminder her attire only looked like it was held up by her chest and nothing else.
"My codename is Oracle!" Futaba said happily.
"Mine is Noir." Haru gave a curt bow.
"And mine is Violet!" Kasumi added.
"I see. We'll be sure to remember that." Zen replied. It seemed like a lot to keep track of, but he and Rei have already seen the costume changes in question. It was just a matter of remembering.
"Now, I think we're ready to go in." Ren looked towards You in Wonderland. "I don't know what's waiting for us. Hopefully a way out of here. Is everyone ready?" He looked to the group and they all gave nods of affirmation. "Alright…it's showtime!"
.
.
Within the darkness of an unknown location, a silver spider crawled down someone's arm, all the way to their gloved palm. "Finally…finally, it will begin. 'Time' resumes…"