Chapter Text
It was a very sedate evening in Leblanc. Ren helped Sojiro clean up the cafe while Morgana snoozed on a barstool, with nothing but the drone of the news on the TV as background noise. Something about art--Ren didn't particularly notice or care, though he was glad to hear something other than the Phantom Thieves.
As he washed dishes at the sink, his phone buzzed. He ignored it and continued his work.
"Hey," Morgana yawned, "your phone's going off."
"It can wait until I'm done," he replied calmly. He scowled as he felt his phone buzz again insistantly. Finally, he sighed, rolled his eyes, and reached for a towel to wipe his hands off on.
"SENPAI!"
Ren shrieked as Kasumi's head popped out of the wall over the sink. He stumbled back and almost fell down as Sojiro hurried to steady him. Kasumi just stared at him as he clutched his chest and scowled.
"Kasumi, what the hell?!"
"Friend of yours I can't see?" Sojiro asked dryly. Ren groaned and rubbed his face.
"Yeah. Kasumi, what--"
"This is important! I need you to come outside and look at something with my sister; she's waiting for you. You weren't answering messages, so..."
"Give me a few minutes, Christ! What's outside?"
Kasumi hesitated. "It... would be easier to show you than explain in words. Please, just hurry! It's important!"
Morgana sat up. "Ren, what's up?"
He looked at him. "Kasumi and her sister want me to go outside and see something."
"Go on, then," Sojiro dismissed, "I can handle the rest of the dishes."
Ren sighed. "Thanks, Boss." He took off his apron. "I'll be back soon."
"What's this about?" Morgana wondered with a yawn. "I can tell when something isn't my business, but I can't help worrying, either. Go help the twins, but let me know if there's trouble, okay?"
"Okay. Sweet dreams."
"Make sure you don't stay out too late," Sojiro bid. Ren nodded and headed outside, unrolling his sleeves. Morgana yawned and settled back down into a ball. The bell above the door jingled as he went.
"In our next story tonight..." the newscaster spoke. "The mysterious graffiti master known only as Guernica has made yet another huge splash in public. Many experts have heralded the pseudonymous street artist as one of the top talents in the field today. However, Guernica's radical subject matter--and selected sites for murals--continue to upset their critics."
"Each massive work is completed overnight, including the latest piece spread across the Security Department headquarters. Despite their first mural appearing in Tokyo over a month ago, the artist's true identity remains unknown. Local police have been grappling with growing criticism at their inability to track down the artist... while at the same time, public support for preserving these murals only continues to rise."
Morgana groaned. "Oh, shut up... why'd he leave the TV on...?"
He smacked the remote and turned the TV off. Sojiro scoffed. "Hey. Maybe I was watching, you don't know." He paused. "Well, I wasn't, but still."
Ren shivered as he stepped out into the chilly November air and instantly missed the warm embrace of Leblanc's atmosphere. Kasumi, however, was completely unfettered and quickly led him to where her sister was waiting in a nearby alleyway. Sumire had been staring at something anxiously, and perked up at the sight of him.
"Oh, Senpai!" She waved. "Sorry for the sudden request. Did Kasumi get you?"
"Yeah; what's going on? Kasumi insisted I needed to hurry and that I should see for myself--that it'd be easier to show me."
Sumire nodded. "We came across some pretty strange art, and there's something especially surprising about it... as Kasumi said, it'll be easier to show you. This way, Senpai!"
The sisters led him to an unsettling mural of a large, purple rat with its maw open, blood dripping from its teeth--from Arsène where he was being gnawed between the teeth.
"That figure," Kasumi spoke up, "isn't it...?"
"Arsène," he said simply, blinking. Sumire frowned.
"This raises so many questions... we had to come get you right away." She clutched her chest. "That mural... don't you feel like there's more to it? Like, it has a really important message behind it, or something?"
"It's giving us both a weird feeling," Kasumi agreed uneasily. "More importantly, though, how did the artist know your Persona? This can't be a coincidence."
"Well, now... color me surprised. To think, you two would be the ones to beat me here."
The three turned to see Goro Akechi approaching the scene with curious eyes. Kasumi scoffed. "Ew, a bootlicker," she sneered, "what is HE doing here?"
"Akechi-san?!" Sumire gasped, oblivious. "What are you doing here?!"
Goro smiled. "Hello, Yoshizawa-san--you as well, Amamiya-kun." He put a hand on his chin. "I admit, you never fail to impress. I hadn't expected you to look into this case as well."
"Sniffing out a lead?" Ren guessed. Akechi nodded.
"Graffiti like this has been all over the news lately, if you were unaware."
Kasumi growled. "Just who is this artist...?"
Though unheard, Akechi picked up the question, his hands on his hips. "The subject matter speaks for itself, though the MO is causing even more of a fuss. Recently, they've been splashing murals like this on municipal buildings." His eyes narrowed. "At this point, I have to ask: do you two have anything to do with these?"
Kasumi scowled. "How DARE you even ask that?!"
"Wha--what?!" Sumire gasped. "We'd never do something like this!" She grimaced as the air temperature plunged, and mouthed "sis, calm down" just under her breath. Goro laughed and smiled.
"I'm only pulling your leg. The questions almost ask themselves--call it a detective's habit." Kasumi huffed, and the air returned to normal. "Scenes like these are popping up all over the city--and it's creating a mess for the police."
"Do you know their secret identity?" Sumire wondered. Goro shook his head.
"Unfortunately, no one's gotten that far just yet. The artist could be doing this for kicks or be part of a grand criminal conspiracy. Perhaps they're declarations of crimes that will be committed, or attempts to expose injustices."
Sumire shrugged and looked uneasily at the mural. As the two discussed the mural, Ren stepped closer to it--his eyes narrowed as he felt something drawing him. He swore he heard something coming from it.
"Senpai?" came Sumire's voice, and he jolted back to reality. He hummed nervously.
"The... mouth is interesting."
Goro looked up at it, his brows raising. "This is actually the first mural that's included one. Perhaps this is a new clue--would you mind taking a closer look?"
Ren drew closer, and paused as the sound got more coherent.
Phantom Thieves... Phantom Thieves of Hearts...
His eyes widened.
Please... I... I need your help...
I need your power... to change the heart!
"Senpai? Is something wrong?"
Ren startled and looked up as the others drew closer. He internally worried it was a ghost hiding, but Kasumi's oblivious expression quickly told him she had heard nothing.
Swallowing hard, he spoke. "I heard a voice in the wall."
Their eyes widened. Sumire gasped. "Do you think it's a..." She paused, side-eyed Akechi, and cleared her throat. "Do you think someone's trapped in the wall?!"
"Hmm..." Kasumi drew closer to the wall. "I don't hear--HUH?!"
She shrieked as she got sucked toward the wall and into the mural. Ren gasped they saw light emerging from it-- Arsène disappeared.
"It's sucking me in!" Sumire shrieked. Ren positioned himself in front of her.
"Get back!"
"It's pulling too hard!" Akechi cried, and all of them screamed as they flew into it. Ren felt as though he was being sucked into a vortex as he helplessly cried out.
When his eyes opened again, he found himself in an unfamiliar, grungy-looking back alley, full of graffiti, dumpsters, and abandoned paint and other things like cans and the occasional skateboard.
He looked down and saw he was in his Metaverse outfit. Before him, three odd, punkish shadows in stained neon green hoodies formed, all wielding paintball guns.
"Shit!" was all he could muster before scrambling for cover, barely dodging the globs of paint shot his way. He shot at a vat of paint next to one, which cried out in disgust as blue paint exploded over it.
"Aw, what the hell?! This is really killing my vibe! What was that for?!"
"You came at ME!" Joker scolded. "Of course I'm gonna shoot back!"
"You're no fun!" the shadow protested. The other shadows split up over the battlefield conveniently littered with more vats of paint and barriers in the form of boxes and trash cans--Joker inwardly thanked whoever the Palace ruler was for being so considerate as he took another shot at the shadow from cover. This time, the shadow shrieked and was knocked down, and another shot killed it.
His brows raised as more blue paint seemed to erupt from its body in its wake, covering previously magenta paint on the ground. Joker looked over the battlefield and grimaced before he looked at the ground, sighed, and tip-toed over the paint. He shot another vat, which exploded onto two more shadows, and dispatched them with point-blank shots.
He climbed a ladder and ran for cover before summoning Arsène, willing him to attack both a shadow and the barrel of paint it stood too close to. As it cried out, wiping its eyes, Joker ran and shoved it into the terrified shadow that had been hiding next to it, killing it and knocking the other shadow down.
As it exploded into paint, Joker gave a cry of disgust as paint splattered all over himself. He bit his lip, groaned, and focused on the stunned remaining shadow. One more point-blank shot was enough to kill it, though he grimaced as paint splattered over him again. He blinked as it dissipated, leaving him clean.
He decided not to question it as more shadows appeared, surrounding him. One was particularly large and build with abnormally big arms, each wielding obnoxiously large cans of spray paint. He looked around desperately for some kind of escape.
There's too many of them. What am I going to do?
A resounding bang reached his ears, and he turned to see two of the shadows behind him had been killed by a very familiar face shrouded in an angel wing mask. Rose stood, her gun smoking as she smiled at Joker.
"Need a hand?"
More shots rang out, and more of the shadows on his other side had been taken out. He looked up to see Crow and Violet standing back-to-back dramatically atop a building.
"Perhaps you'd rather I hadn't cut in?" Crow asked wryly.
"Senpai, you're not hurt, are you?" Violet asked worriedly. Both leaped forward, into the fray. Crow paused and gave Rose a confused look after they landed; he looked between her and her sister.
"Who are--"
"Explanations later," Rose interrupted, "we've gotta deal with these guys first."
Crow nodded. "Right." As they moved back-to-back, he spoke again. "I never would have imagined Yoshizawa would have this power."
"And I never thought you did," Violet said, surprised, "but... does that also mean you're...?"
"Talk later, fight now!" Rose chided. Joker grunted.
"Right--Rose, with me on the two guys behind us. Crow, Violet, make headway on the other guys and we'll catch up to you once we've handled the flank. Got it?" They grunted, and Joker grinned. "Let's do this!"