Chapter Text
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~*~
The Velvet Room’s music soothed Joker as Igor and the others stared at him. but his trepidation must’ve been obvious to Lavenza. Justine and Caroline were always perceptive, with Lavenza even more so.
“Please don’t be wary, Trickster.” Lavenza said with a small, comforting smile, “You must have questions. We will do the best we can to answer them.”
“Where are my teammates? Are they alright?”
“Yes, they are resting deeper within the Velvet Room.” Lavenza ran a delicate finger down the spine of the Compendium, her brow raised, “Though something has peaked our interest with them.”
“Ah, how curious to have Arcanas in another world. Not only those from your original deck, but new ones as well.” Igor said, his gentle voice as cool as running water. “The Magician has tended to the Faith, Apostle, and the budding Aeon.”
Faith and Apostle? The Aeon?
“You’ll be reunited with them soon, Trickster.” Lavenza smiled at him, “In the meantime, what other questions did you have?”
Joker took a breath, “How did you find me? Why did it take you so long to get here?”
He tried to keep the betrayal and hurt out of his voice. Judging by Lavenza’s pained wince, he didn’t do a good enough job.
Lavenza curtsied. “Our sincerest apologies, Trickster. We tried to reach you sooner, but...”
“The Velvet Room is a place between dream and reality, mind and matter,” Igor waved his hand around the Velvet Room, “However, it was deeply twisted by Yaldabaoth’s machinations. Lavenza and myself were greatly weakened by his actions as well, thus we could not traverse into the realm between worlds to reach you.”
“But your Second Awakening changed that.” Lavenza said, her expression lighting like the first rays of morning sunlight, “It blazed a pathway through the darkness, and with the aid of my siblings, we were able to break through and reunite with you. Although, the trip seems to have been one way.”
“Siblings?” Joker’s eyes snapped between Lavenza and the strangers behind Igor. “You never told me you had siblings.”
“It wasn’t important information at the time.” The beautiful woman stepped forward and politely bowed. “But where are my manners? I am Margaret, the Velvet Room Attendant before Lavenza.”
“I am Theodore.” The man put a hand on his chest and copied Margaret, “Also another Velvet Room Attendant of a previous Wild Card.”
The last woman simply smirked, “I’m Elizabeth. Theo’s better half.”
Theodore frowned, “Hey…”
“There, there, Theo.” Margaret chuckled, her laugh as velvety as the room around them, “Yes, Lavenza summoned us in her time of need. With our strengths combined and the calling of your Second Awakening, we were able to break away from Yaldabaoth’s control and come here.”
“Thank you.” Joker bowed his head. “If you didn’t come when you did…”
He would have failed as a leader. Again. Gotten his friends injured or worse. Again. But now Eri, Mona, and the others were safe, and that’s all that mattered right now. He tried to rationalize it that way, but a heavy weight in his chest made it a hard pill to swallow.
“The boy has manners.” Elizabeth purred, “I like him already.”
Lavenza cleared her throat. For some reason, her face reddened as she gave Elizabeth a stern look. “Trickster, why don’t you step out of your cell? The Velvet Room has changed due to your Second Awakening and our arrival here, and I sense your Personas would like a moment with you.”
Joker blinked, his heart pounding, and stepped out of his cell.
His eyes were drawn upwards as soft light bathed the Velvet Room in a shower of silver. The first floor of the Velvet Room was still molded after a stone-cold prison, but the walls were less solid the more his eyes traveled upwards, until they vanished into the great expanse replacing what had been a dark and ominous ceiling. Millions of stars twinkled in vast colorful pools intermingling at the center of a galaxy.
Reds, greens, purples, brilliant stripes of silver from clusters of twinkling diamonds. The sight reminded him of when he snuck out to the mountains to get a view of the stars back home. He felt small as he stared at the brightest stars, a familiar arrangement of seven.
A leathery brush of wings and a spark of blue flames appeared in the corner of his eye, drawing him away from the breath-taking sight. Satanael hovered in front of Joker, sending a wave of warmth to his other self. A gentle smile crossed Satanael’s lips as other flames appeared before Joker could even open his mouth.
“Master!!”
Joker was tackled by the several-ton body of Cerberus.
“Cerberus… buddy,” Joker laughed as the Persona nuzzled his face, snow white fur sticking out from between Joker’s fingers, “I missed you too, but could you let me breathe?”
Cerberus whined, his eyes going large and dark like a guilty puppy, but he got up. Joker smiled when he got to his feet, patting Cerberus’ mane and scratching his favorite spot behind his ears. Others crowded around him.
Alice tackled him and wouldn’t let go, her arms locked around his waist.
Titania ruffled his hair while Pixie buzzed around their heads, cackling.
Vasuki and Kohryu, the latter pressing himself against the half-solid wall of the Velvet Room, comforted him with the tips of their tails.
Shiva, Black Frost, Cu Chulainn, and Byakko kept their distance, but they reveled in the Trickster’s presence and the others’ joy… save for a sudden and terrifying swathe of rage.
“Amamiya Ren!”
The other Personas flinched at Ishtar’s wrath. They backed away as she floated to him, her usual serene calm etched with undying fury.
Joker blinked. “Uh…me?”
“Yes, you.” She opened her eyes, the heat of her aquamarine glare could sear muscle off of bone. Joker opened his mouth, but her hand was quicker. He backpedaled as his cheek stung, putting a hand to the reddening spot.
He blinked rapidly, stupefied. “What was that for?”
Ishtar lunged forward. Joker’s breath hitched when she wrapped her arms around him and tucked his head into the crook of her neck. Her embrace was as strong as steel, but her warmth and her soft scent brought him back to that starry night on the cliff during the Summer Camp. His heart thundered as she tightened her grasp, her rage dissipating with a wash of overwhelming affection.
“How dare you.” She whispered, her voice trembling. “How dare you value your life so little, that you thought dying was a suitable plan to escape that hospital.”
The air in the Velvet Room changed on her words, and unknowingly Elizabeth stared at Joker with eyes of liquid gold shielding many emotions. Theodore did much the same, but he chose to stare at the ground with a troubled expression instead.
Joker’s throat tightened as tears gathered in his eyes. “I—”
“I’m not finished.” Joker shut his mouth as Ishtar’s fingers ran through his hair. “It doesn’t matter if you thought there wasn’t any other way. Putting such responsibility onto the Magician was cruel beyond words.” She pulled back and locked her hands on his shoulders. Her eyes peered deeply into his. “Promise us you will never resort to such idiotically desperate measures again.”
“But I—”
“No.” She hissed, and the other Personas all stared at him in equal expectation. “Promise. Us. Now.”
Joker paled, “I… I promise I’ll never do that again.”
Ishtar stared at him for several tense moments, her gaze searching for any lies. Finally, her expression softened and she lightly sighed.
“Good.” She kissed him on the forehead. “If you even think about doing it ever again, then I swear I’ll ground you for the rest of eternity.”
“I second that.” Satanael said, unabashed.
“O-okay. I get it...” Joker said as he felt his face heat up. ”I’m sorry.”
Exasperated sighs circled the Velvet Room, but Joker noticed that some Personas were still missing.
“Where’s Orpheus and Sraosha?” The Personas stiffened at Joker’s jolt of panic, “Yatagarasu!?”
“Sraosha is…unwell.” Titania frowned and looked at one of the open cells. The Isolation Cell, specifically.
Joker sensed Sraosha within, but he refused to come out even though the door was open. A heavy sense of dread and guilt filtered through him.
“He doesn’t want to talk to us yet.” Alice pouted as she tugged at Joker’s sleeve.
“As for Orpheus…” Elizabeth tilted her head, her expression pinched in a strange way, “Or shall we call him Orpheus Picaro, now?”
Orpheus Picaro appeared in front of her. Elizabeth looked him up and down, the harshness of her face softening as she put a hand to the Persona’s cheek.
“I wondered where you ran off to,” She said, “You found another Wild Card in need. I don’t blame you, but give a lady a little warning next time, alright? I was so worried about you.”
Joker furrowed his brows as Orpheus Picaro nodded, and gracefully floated away to join the other Personas. Elizabeth’s conflicted expression smoothed out as Lavenza walked up to Joker.
Lavenza opened the Compendium, “Yatagarasu is right here. I will… forgo the usual payment method just this once.”
The Compendium glowed softly, and Yatagarasu burst from its pages with a howl of wind. Yatagarasu’s bond, a glowing string, reattached itself to that starlit web in Joker’s soul that connected them all to one another. Yatagarasu circled the Velvet Room and landed on Joker’s shoulder.
“You’re okay!” Joker ran his hands down Yatagarasu’s feathers.
“My deepest apologies for worrying you,” Yatagarasu shuffled his wings as he leaned in to Joker’s touch, “It was painful being separated from you again, but I found myself somewhere dark and peaceful. I slept until I was summoned once more.”
“The Compendium saved him.” Lavenza said, “But it too has changed.”
“It changed?” Joker’s eyes widened, “Wait, is Seth there!?”
That hope shining in their hearts withered away when Lavenza frowned deeply, regret glimmering in her eyes.
“...No, he is not.” She flipped through other pages, “When we initially lost you, some of the pages turned an insidious black. We didn’t know what to make of it at first.”
“The black pages were the Personas sent away with you to another world,” Igor said, “Now, it is other pages which are missing. All others, aside from the ones gathered here, have vanished.”
“Can I see it?” Joker asked.
“Of course,” Lavenza’s smile turned sad when she handed it over. “These are your Personas.”
Most of his Personas returned to his mindscape to give him room. Joker took the heavy book in his hands, though they watched on curiously from his mind. Yatagarasu and Ishtar stayed, scanning through the pages with him. Satanael floated at Joker’s side in all of his majesty. Kohryu pressed himself against the upper walls, a layer of gold swimming in silver and velvet.
Joker opened the book to the first page, where Satanael replaced Arsene. He flipped through Titania’s and Cerberus’ pages, before stopping, his mouth dropping open. The next few after that were pages of pure darkness. He turned the next few pages rapidly until they turned blank. Out of the 192 or so Personas he had back home, only 15 were filled, counting the ominous black pages.
“The black pages—” Ishtar started.
“Yes, I see the pattern as well.” Yatagarasu nodded sagely, “The pages in which the Trickster mastered our bonds are all clear as day, while the black pages are ones he has not yet mastered.”
Joker double checked. It was true. He cast out within his mindscape and touched each and every bond. Confusion swirled when Sraosha yanked his bond away in fear. Joker frowned when Sraosha buried himself away. Instead, he focused on another.
“There is one way to test it.” Joker said. “Pixie.”
Pixie giggled as she appeared from a blue spark, “Yes, Trickster?”
He closed the Compendium and tucked it under his arm, then held out his other hand. Pixie landed on his palm, her tiny form almost weightless. They stared into one another’s eyes as he focused on her bond.
Pixie’s bond was a warm summer’s wind on his face, speckled with the fresh scent of a forest brimming with life. Joker closed his eyes and took in everything, the very essence of Pixie herself, what made her different from the other Shadows lost in the Sea. He fully accepted her, and she him. His longest companion other than Arsene, one who stuck through with him from the start.
He opened his eyes when the bond clicked in place, his soul humming pleasantly as Pixie’s power thrummed through them.
The Compendium’s pages shimmered. Pixie fluttered above Joker when he flipped it open, one black page burning away with a trail of blue flame, it reminded Joker of how an old film would burn on a projector. Pixie’s page swirled with fine golden ink, which listed her strengths and weaknesses, and of the spells she could cast.
Igor hummed, and the other Velvet Room siblings exchanged glances.
Lavenza gasped, “Oh my, how intriguing! I wonder why your powers are so different here.”
“From the beginning, my Personas sensed that this world was… different.” Joker stated, “A different energy from the Sea Of Souls back home. Could that have something to do with it?”
“Perhaps. A bigger part may be consequences from Yaldabaoth’s tampering.” Igor said with a nod.
“What do you mean?” Joker asked.
“If we were to put it succinctly,” Margaret said, “Think of each of these worlds as a different tapestry, which are carefully woven with strings of all colors and given all forms of life, rules, magic, and the like.”
“Then some moronic god comes along and tears a giant hole in them, draining the life and individuality from them just because he can.” Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed dangerously, “He plucks away each string from these other tapestries, one by one.”
“He replaces the strings with his own.” Theodore frowned, “And he will not stop until—”
“Until each tapestry is nothing but red.” Lavenza finished, her expression falling. “It is likely that some ‘information’ melded between worlds due to these foreign threads, thereby changing the rules of these realities.”
“But Yaldabaoth really screwed up, didn’t he?” Elizabeth chuckled, hard and cold, “He cheated the game, so there was nothing to stop our dear Lavenza from doing a bit of cheating, too. He can’t stop my other siblings and I from aiding another Wild Card on our own terms.”
“You said that before.” Joker glanced in between them, “About other Wild Cards?”
“Did you think you were the first Wild Card?” Elizabeth asked with a tilt to her head.
“I thought about the possibility of other Persona users, but I didn’t know if there were others like me until… Akechi. I didn’t like thinking about it after what happened in Shido’s Palace.”
Elizabeth stared at him, her eyes simmering, “Orpheus didn’t tell you about his Wild Card?”
“He gave us hints,” Satanael said with a light shrug. “And the other Personas have faint memories of other Wild Cards, but the full story of your specific Wild Card eludes us still.”
“The other Wild Cards went through similar adventures.” Igor nodded, “They rose to the call when the world needed their power. They fought their battles and won. Time passes and new Wild Cards arise to the call when needed.”
“But we are not here to talk about past Wild Cards.” Elizabeth said sourly.
The other Attendants gave her worried glances. Joker wondered if something had happened to Elizabeth’s Wild Card. Given how the siblings’ mood dampened, and by the sharp pang of sorrow from Orpheus Picaro, he could only guess. He wasn’t about to pry. If Joker and his team barely scraped by Justine and Caroline’s battle, then he didn’t want to get on Elizabeth’s bad side.
“For the topic at hand.” Igor interrupted the stilted silence, his unwavering gaze landing on the Compendium. “The changes you’ve experienced with your powers, particularly with your Personas.”
Joker looked at the Compendium with dawning horror, “I never mastered Seth’s bond.”
“His page is not in there anymore.” Lavenza said. “It’s possible that… that he may be gone for good.”
“What?”
Lavenza gently took the Compendium from Joker, “You never mastered his bond, correct?”
“...Yeah.” Joker whispered in the too quiet Velvet Room. Even the mournful song dimmed at his words, “He was killed like Yatagarasu, but Yatagarasu came back!”
“You mastered my bond ages ago, Trickster. The first, in fact.” Yatagarasu warbled. “We never worked on Seth’s.”
“I see.” Lavenza hugged the Compendium to her chest, “If the Persona itself was erased and there’s no mastered bond to forge its new page… then it seems impossible to get Seth back. I am sorry, Trickster.”
Joker felt dizzy.
Ishtar put a stabilizing hand on his shoulder.
“But that begs another question.” Margaret drew his attention, her eyes warm and kind, “What other changes have you experienced during your time in this new world? The changes to your Compendium cannot be the only thing.”
“Cognition…” Joker steadied himself with a deep breath, Ishtar’s tightened grip kept him focused, “My Personas not only grew in power the more the people of this world knew about them, but they slowly gained their individuality. Arcanas appeared after a good couple of months. There are some bad things too.”
“The Hierophant of this world, a pro hero by the name of Eraserhead…” Kohryu’s voice rolled through the Velvet Room like distant thunder, “He could erase us from reality and send us back to the Trickster’s mindscape.”
Lavenza and the other Velvet Attendant’s eyes went wide.
“What?” Elizabeth spat the word in vitriol, her posture going rigid, “How?”
“In this world, humans have powers called Quirks.” Joker explained, “But there are other quirks and technology that can erase powers. It works on my Personas, too.”
“But that makes no sense,” Theodore clutched his chin, eyes narrowing in thought, “You should not be completely bound by the laws of this world. Personas are not these… ‘quirks.’”
“Igor,” Elizabeth turned to the long nosed man, “We implied that new rules were made due to Yaldabaoth’s tampering. Could the rules overlap one another? Could they… combine, in a sense?”
“Possibly.” Igor tapped his chin, eyes unblinking, “In fact, it must be so.”
“What are you talking about?” Joker asked.
Theodore frowned, “Wait, Elizabeth, are you implying—”
Elizabeth walked towards Joker, and Theodore cut himself off with a sigh.
“Did you have lasting symptoms of this ‘erasure’?” Elizabeth stopped in front of Joker, her citrine eyes as hard as steel.
“Unimaginable pain for the Personas in reality.” Kohryu flicked his whiskers, “And we are… not ourselves for a short time after. I grew insane and nearly devastated the Trickster’s mindscape when it happened to me. I injured Arsene in my madness before he snapped me out of it, and I was weakened greatly afterwards.”
“Yes,” Satanael’s wings rattled together in anger, “When Eraserhead suppressed our power in that alley months ago, we were nearly consumed with rage when he returned us. I wanted nothing more than to end Eraserhead’s existence at great cost to the Trickster himself.”
Joker frowned as he put a hand over his heart, “It felt like I was being torn apart from the inside. I suffered severe backlash, and was unconscious for a few days when Kohryu was erased.”
“I see.” Elizabeth’s expression soured as if she had bit a particularly nasty lemon, “If anybody does that to you again, I’ll kill them myself.”
It was a quiet declaration, but one laced with such a powerful resolve that it made the hairs on the back of Joker’s neck stand on end.
“Elizabeth!” Margaret called.
“I understand your feelings, sister,” Theodore’s gloved hands balled into fists, “But that’s taking it too far. What happened to our Wild Cards’ friend is no excuse for such behavior.”
Our Wild Card’s? Joker thought with a frown. Did these two share a Wild Card like Justine and Caroline shared him? He buried that question when Elizabeth crossed her arms and scowled, her eyes glinting with a promise of murder.
“You act like you’ve experienced this before.” Joker glanced between Elizabeth and Theodore. “There’s no way there’s something that can suppress Personas like that back home, right?” Igor and the Velvet Room Attendants stared at him. Dread clawed up his spine. “…Right?”
“No.” Elizabeth huffed, “There is a medicine that humans can take to keep their Personas locked away.”
Joker’s eyes went wide.
“But doing so greatly hurts both the user and the Persona.” Theodore looked to the ground, unknown memories replaying within his eyes, “One of our Wild Cards’ most trusted friends did that to himself… and he experienced some of same symptoms you described when your Personas were ‘erased.’”
Elizabeth shook her head, “So thanks to Yaldabaoth’s bullshit, instead of a ‘quirk’ getting erased, it acts like a Persona Suppressor. How barbaric.”
“That’s not all.” Joker said gravely as the sentiment settled on him, “It’s not only my Personas that are changing, but my body, too.” Joker frowned as hazy memories surfaced, of that mad doctor and of the files he burned, “My physiology is changing. A brain scan revealed that my body is trying to compensate for a quirk that’s not there.”
“Fascinating,” Igor held up both hands, fingers splayed, “One, a world of Distortions, Shadows, and Persona users, and the other of heroes and super powers. Yaldabaoth rips the veils between worlds, and when the ‘tapestries’ combine unnaturally, inhabitants from both of them…” Igor clasped his fingers together, his grin widening, “eventually become something in between. These new Arcanas, your Personas gathering strength and individuality through Cognition, your changing physiology, and Personas being affected by these quirks, may be proof of this. The longer you are here, Trickster, the more changes we may see. These changes will continue until Yaldabaoth secures his true victory.”
Joker grimaced. The possibility of the Metaverse leaking into U.A. was bad enough, but the last thing they needed was for this world to be overcome with Distortions and Shadows.
“Master,” Lavenza faced Igor, “If the Trickster were to defeat Yaldabaoth and restore balance, would everything return to normal for all worlds?”
“I believe so.” Igor said, “Should Yaldabaoth’s tampering cease, it may allow the worlds to heal and go back to their original state. But it must be done before he succeeds at merging these worlds fully with the Metaverse.”
Joker sighed. “We almost defeated Yaldabaoth the first time before he threw us into other worlds. What’s to stop him from doing it again?”
“Well, you didn’t have our support last time, and your Second Awakening seems stronger than your first.” Elizabeth smirked, “This pansy god won’t know what hit him the second time around. He should’ve just accepted his fate the first time.”
“Agreed.” Lavenza smiled at Joker, “If we are to continue our battle through this world, then you need all of the strength you can muster. Now that the Velvet Room is restored to you, feel free to use our services as normal.”
Ice filled Joker’s veins. Concern trickled from his other selves as his heart pounded in his ears.
“It may be wise to do fusions now and—”
“No!”
The Velvet Room rung with his voice.The Attendants gaped at him, and Igor’s expression didn’t change much, but he stared with such sadness that Joker had to look away.
Joker cleared his throat and gathered the fractures remains of his composure, “I’m not ready for any fusions just yet.”
Yatagarasu nuzzled Joker’s hair with his beak, while Pixie fondly patted his cheek. Ishtar gave his hand a soft squeeze.
“I… I see.” Lavenza bowed deeply, her long hair flowing with the movement, “I apologize for bringing it up. I didn’t mean to cause you any distress.”
Joker shook his head, “It’s fine. I didn’t mean to yell like that.”
“Your Second Awakening took much from you, and we have discussed many heavy topics.” Igor said softly, “Why don’t we stop here? Besides, your other teammates have been waiting patiently. Lavenza?”
Lavenza bowed to them before she ran off down the hall leading to an outer ring of cells. Despite the mournful song throughout the Velvet Room, it was so quiet. Too quiet. Elizabeth silently returned to her spot next to her other siblings. Margaret and Theodore studied Joker with a blend of intricate, yet carefully concealed, emotions.
Igor didn’t seem to mind awkwardness at all, humming along with the song.
“Joker!!”
Ishtar, Yatagarasu, and Pixie vanished as another body crashed into him. The green scales and vibrant pink hair tickling his face told him that it was Spinner.
“My guy!” Spinner let go, took Joker by the shoulders, and shook him wildly, “You’re okay!! What the heck is going on!?”
“What he means is—” Mr. Compress pulled Spinner away with a hand on his shoulder, “We heard everything you talked about with these fine people, but we are just a tad confused. Particularly the bit where you spoke of multiple worlds?”
“Atsuhiro…” Joker looked the man up and down. Mr. Compress had his bloody coat draped over one arm, the rest of his shirt splotched with red, but his coat absorbed most of it. The other arm was intact, whole. He had lost his hat and mask, and his hair was messed up in an oddly similar way to Joker’s. “Are you okay?”
“We are fine, my boy. Mercurius and Mona healed us up quite nicely, though something strange has happened to Mona too...” Mr. Compress smirked and gently prodded Joker in the chest, “But I swear I am billing you for my dry cleaning! This is the second coat that’s been ruined by blood! Let’s not make it a habit and do it a third time, yes?”
“Y-yes.” Joker rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly. “Speaking of, where is Mona?”
“Right here!”
Mona walked in, holding hands with Eri. He wasn’t in his normal cat form, but his chibi-like, bipedal Metaverse form, complete with his yellow bandanna and the belt around his waist.
Joker gasped, “Mona, your form!”
“I know!! Aren’t I awesome!?” Mona grinned from ear to ear, his sapphire eyes twinkling. “It feels so good to have this form back! Oh, I can’t wait to finally shoot my slingshot again!”
“So… this is normal for Mona?” Mr. Compress asked, slack jawed.
“Yep! I couldn’t access this form for some reason, until now.” Mona looked down at himself, then his large eyes scanned the Velvet Room, “I wonder if it has something to do with being here again? I was born here, after all.”
Mr. Compress and Spinner gaped at each other. Mr. Compress shrugged with an exaggerated sigh.
“But I’m not the only that changed.” Mona narrowed his eyes as he looked Joker up and down, “What’s with your new costume!?”
Joker looked at his black and gold attire. Speaking of, he hasn’t seen his new mask yet. He reached up and took it off. Satanael’s pride warmed Joker’s soul as he stared at a likeness to Satanael’s own mask, though deep black with gold rimming the sharp, wing-like edges. It was only a little larger than his other domino mask.
“Not a bad upgrade,” Mr. Compress chuckled as he walked a slow circle around Joker, “Gold trimming is always in style. It’s far fancier than your previous attire! Quite fitting for a Phantom Thief.”
“Phantom thief?” Spinner cackled, “I say he looks more like a Phantom Prince now! Look at all that gold!”
“But why did your costume change?” Mona asked, “I knew our Personas could grow stronger and evolve, but I never thought your Metaverse costume could do that too!”
Their mutual thought of Akechi’s attire went unsaid, as he was a… unique example.
“He no longer has the role of the Fool.” Lavenza stood at the back of the group, “The Trickster went through many trials and tribulations in this other world, enough to where his power has evolved from the Fool to The World. Satanael himself now bears the World Arcana as well.”
Igor chuckled, his toothy grin growing larger, “Something I doubt even Yaldabaoth could have predicted.”
“Er, you lost me again.” Spinner stated.
“I’ll explain later.” Joker rubbed his eyes and replaced his new mask. It fit perfectly, “Right now, we have more important things to worry about.”
Eri grasped Mona’s paw with white knuckles as they stared at her. Her breathing picked up as she scanned the whole of the Velvet Room, her crimson eyes drowning in fear. Joker approached slowly, and her eyes fell to the puddles of color under his feet.
He crouched down in front of her, smiling. “I’m sorry if we scared you, but you’re safe now. We won’t let that man harm you anymore.”
Eri opened her mouth, but couldn’t seem to form any words. She trembled like a leaf in the wind, making herself as small as possible.
Mona’s expression softened.
“This child doesn’t trust us yet,” Ishtar whispered, “her Arcana is not fully formed.”
“She has been through much pain and suffering.” Shiva said, “It may take time.”
Joker held out his hand to her, “How about we go home so you can meet our other friends? They’re really nice, I promise.”
Eri stared at his gloved hand, her lips wobbling. Slowly, she reached out. Her hand was so tiny compared to his.
Her touch electrified him. She must have felt something too, as her trepidation melted away with awe. A small light came into her eyes as she stared at Joker. Just then, he could sense his bond with her.
The Aeon.
Not yet solidified, but gracing the edge of his soul with its whisper soft touch.
“So… how do we get back?” Spinner whispered, breaking Joker and Eri out of their trance.
Joker looked over his shoulder to Mr. Compress, the Faith, and Spinner, the Apostle, respectively.
“There is an entrance nearby.” Lavenza faced the long hallway leading to the outer cells, “This way.”
Joker stood, hand in hand with Eri, her other hand latched onto Mona, and they followed. Spinner and Mr. Compress trailed behind them at a more sedate pace, their eyes wandering over the Velvet Room and its inhabitants before they turned their backs on it.
“Don’t worry, Trickster.” Satanael whispered, “We will be with you as you exit. Always.”
“Yeah! We won’t leave Master’s side ever again!” Cerberus declared with a howl.
“I can’t wait to play with Big Brother again! Although… I’ve always wanted a little sister, too!”
“Alice, darling, don’t get any ideas.” Titania said, “We shouldn’t scare the Aeon.”
“We can at least play games with her, right!?” Pixie said, giggling.
“I suppose, but harm one hair on her head and I’ll eat you whole.” Byakko warned.
“I just want to give the sweetheart a proper bath,” Ishtar said with sorrow, “And to see what lies under all of those dirty bandages.”
Hearing their voices again filled Joker with a soft, buzzing warmth. It eradicated his previous hopelessness and lifted his spirits. His heart was so full… he finally felt complete.
“Mister…” Eri tugged on his hand. Mona’s ears twitched to listen, “Why are you crying? Are you sad?”
“What?” Joker wiped away the tears with his other hand. He didn’t even notice. “No, I’m not sad. I’m… happy.”
Eri blinked, her blank expression unchanging, “People can cry when they’re happy?”
Joker nodded. “Crying isn’t only for when you’re sad.”
“Oh.”
Joker and Mona exchanged subtle glances at Eri’s closed off expression, though maybe she was still in shock. Her whole world just turned upside down in a matter of hours. Joker didn’t know how long she was trapped with Overhaul, he dearly hoped it wasn’t her whole short life.
“Here we are.” Lavenza stopped in front of a set of stairs leading up into a doorway of bright white light. “Some time has passed since we took you into the Velvet Room, but the new location should be safe.”
“Are you coming with, Lady Lavenza?” Mona asked.
“Yes. I’ll escort you to your safe house, but I’ll give the Trickster something before we depart.” Lavenza opened the back cover of the Compendium. A small key was pressed in a hidden pocket. “Here is your Velvet Key, Trickster. It… should have been yours from the start of your journey.”
Joker held the tiny silver key in his palm. It was an intricate little thing, the iconic Velvet Room symbol was carved into the handle. He carefully placed it in his hidden breast pocket as Lavenza went up the stairs first.
There were dozens of steep steps. Mona wouldn’t have any trouble in his Metaverse form, but Eri was barely on her feet as is. He knelt down next to Eri, smiling.
“I can give you a piggy back ride, if you want. That way you won’t have to walk and we can get home faster. Is that okay with you?”
“It’s not gonna hurt, is it?” She asked. Then she winced and hunched her shoulders, her hands covering her face as if she expected a punch.
“No, it doesn’t.” Joker said softly as he settled his other hand on her hair. She looked up to him again, her eyes like liquid jewels, “Actually, it’s pretty fun. I think you would like it.”
Eri blinked several times. “…Okay.”
Joker frowned when he situated Eri on his back. She was so light, barely a feather, compared to him. Her little arms wrapped around his neck and her chin rested on his shoulder, her eyes wide as she ogled her surroundings at this new height.
“How much do you want to bet that the others will kill us when we get back? Kaito specifically.” Spinner whispered to Mr. Compress as the others went on ahead.
“Perhaps they won’t go as hard this time.” Mr. Compress sighed as he stared at the tiny girl on Joker’s back, “Considering we’re bringing home not one, but two, traumatized children. And maybe… a third traumatized child? That butterfly girl is the real mystery, here.”
“Don’t forget two traumatized adults!” Spinner stared pointedly at Mr. Compress’ bloody coat, then up and around the cold stone walls resonating with haunting music. “What the heck are we supposed to make of all this?”
Mr. Compress folded the coat so the bloody splotches were hidden. He rolled his healed shoulder and wrist, flexed his bare fingers. He looked over his shoulder to find Igor’s unblinking gazed fixed on them. The man’s eerie smile widened.
“Joker said he would explain, and I’ll trust his word on… whatever this is. Giving him our trust and support is the least we can do after everything he’s done for us.” Mr. Compress turned away, staring at the light spilling on the stairs, “Otherworldly origins or no, both my arms appreciate being attached to my body.”
Mr. Compress followed Joker and the others. Spinner took a moment, gawking at the Velvet Room, before he followed. They all reached the top and stepped through the white light together.
~*~*~*~
Kirishima paced around the waiting room.
The adrenaline from his late night patrol with Fat Gum and Suneater still coursed through his veins. Soon enough footage of his fight was posted online, and he only saw it because the small TV in the waiting room had played it on the local news. It was so strange seeing himself from another point of view. Standing in that dark alley, using himself as an unbreakable wall between an insane blade villain and terrified civilians, refusing to back down until he knew the people were safe. He looked so manly!
He even got his first dedicated fans!
But… Suneater…
He perked up when he heard approaching footsteps, turning to see a familiar face. Fat Gum’s bright yellow hero costume would stand out anywhere, it made him iconic in this town. He was such a softie too, both in personality and his quirk! Kirishima found it weird that their quirks were nearly the exact opposite, but they worked so well together.
“Suneater got his quirk back.” Fat Gum’s smile widened, “Thankfully, that drug doesn’t appear to be permanent. Oh, and that bullet you saved was full of the same drug that hit Suneater, so they’re running tests on it.”
Kirishima breathed a sigh of relief. “So he’s okay?”
“Yep! He’ll be let out soon.” Fat Gum’s expression softened, “Are you up for some grub after he gets discharged?”
Kirishima beamed, “Sure, I’m starving!”
Fat Gum chuckled and ruffled Kirishima’s hair, “That’s the spirit! My favorite takoyaki restaurant is close by. The owner and I are close friends, so I get a discount. Eat as much as you like. My treat for doin’ such a great job tonight!”
“Thank you, sir!”
Fat Gum snickered, “No need to call me sir, Kirishima.”
A doctor emerged from the hall, “Fat Gum, we just need to finalize some paperwork before we discharge Suneater. If you would…?”
“Ah, right!” Fat Gum ruffled Kirishima’s hair once more, “Wait here, okay sport? Suneater and I will come get ya once we’re done!”
“Okay!”
Kirishima plopped down on one of the chairs as Fat Gum was led away by the doctor. Curious, he got out his phone to check in with everyone. He had hundreds of messages from the class chatroom.
[Red Riot]
Hey guys! Did I miss something in class today?
[Pinkie]
OMG KIRI!!
WE SAW YOU ON THE NEWS YOU WERE AWESOME!!
[Red Riot]
Oh, thanks!!
But uh… why was everyone freaking out earlier?
My phone can’t load that many messages!
[Invisibility]
You haven’t seen the news yet???
[Red Riot]
Not really, had a really busy night!
[Charge Bolt]
MANNN I’m so jealous!
Both Deku and Red Riot got to be on the news!!
[Pinkie]
Deku was spotted working with Hawks!!
[Red Riot]
WAIT WHAT
I thought Tokoyami was working with Hawks? What’s Midoriya doing with him?
[Pinkie]
That’s what I wanna know!! We haven’t heard from Tokoyami, or even Tsu-chan and Ochako! This radio silence is KILLING me!!
[Ingenium 2.0]
We do not have the full picture yet.
Do not spread any unnecessary rumors until we hear from either Tokoyami or Midoriya! DO NOT pester them with texts either! They may be busy with their agencies!
But to answer your question, Kirishima, there was an explosion near Nighteye’s agency earlier today, and there are certain rumors going around the internet.
[Red Riot]
Okay
And????
[Charge Bolt]
If you won’t tell him Class Rep, I will!!
[Ingenium 2.0]
Fine. There are rumors that one of Joker’s mythological companions was spotted in the area, but we have nothing concrete.
Please don’t go spreading this around! The last thing we need is to be the cause of unscrupulous rumors!!
[Cellophane]
We get it! We heard you the first 50 times after Aizawa’s lecture on ‘secrecy’ or whatever after the red rain!
[Tsukuyomi]
Apologies for the extended silence. I don’t know how much we are allowed to say, but know that we are fine and have been busy working with our respective agencies. I’m sure Midoriya and the others will update you as soon as they can.
It has been a mad banquet indeed.
[Invisibility]
That’s it??
[Pinkie]
UGH MORE MYSTERIES!?
I’m at my wits end here!
[KingExplosionMurder]
WOULD YOU ALL SHUT UP
I’M TRYING TO SLEEP
Kirishima exited the conversation there, his previous energy soured with concern. Whatever happened, wherever his Aniki is right now, Kirishima hoped that he and the rest of Kirishima’s classmates were okay.
~*~*~*~
“No hostiles.” Lavenza craned her neck around the alley as Joker and his teammates exited the Velvet Room. “How curious. This world really harbors different energy from back home. Different…. threads, you could say.”
Joker suppressed a shiver. It was as if they passed through a wall of icy water when stepping through the barred door, the strange magic of the Velvet Room shifting around them as they trekked into reality. His other teammates shared similar reactions. Weird. It was never that way back home.
“We can talk about it once we get back.” Joker said. “Eri, how are you doing? ….Eri?”
Mr. Compress smiled, “It seems the little princess has fallen asleep already. Spinner, that means no shouting.”
“Aye aye.” Spinner said sarcastically, then he stiffened. “Wait, do you hear that? It’s coming from above.”
They looked up to the sliver of black sky between the buildings. A humming noise droned overhead, and a helicopter's blinking lights appeared far in the distance.
“That explosion must’ve drawn the humans’ attention.” Lavenza said.
Joker blinked. “What explosion?”
Lavenza turned to him, her brow heavy, “I must apologize for Elizabeth’s behaviour. Megidolaon is one of her favorite spells, and she cast it before the door to the Velvet Room closed. I presume it was to cover our tracks.”
Joker paled, “That spell is seriously powerful here!” He bit his lip when Eri shifted in her sleep, but thankfully didn’t wake.
Mr. Compress scanned the alley, “We should go while we have the chance. I recognize these alleys. It’s quite a walk from here to the bar, but we should be fine as long as we don’t venture on the rooftops.”
“I’ll keep an eye on our surroundings.” Mona jumped and waved his little arms around. Now his footsteps splashed with intense colors, too. “I can’t explain why, but my wind feels… sharper in this form. Stronger. Mercurius and I can probably extend my range and power in this form… I think.”
“Fantastic.” Mr. Compress walked past them, “We should call La Brava, too. Several hours have passed and they must be worried sick. It would help to have additional ears on the heroes’ movements.”
“Go ahead,” Joker said softly, “Mona and Spinner will keep watch.”
Spinner did the two finger salute as Mr. Compress dug through his tattered coat pockets.
Joker turned towards the Velvet Room door as it vanished, the wash of ice cold magic fading along with it. “Is it supposed to do that?”
Lavenza hummed, “I suppose it’s a new safety measure. Now that the Velvet Room is… visible to normal humans, thanks to the new rules, we do not want interlopers finding it.”
Joker snorted. “Would any intruders even survive long enough to get a good look inside?”
“No… I suppose not.” Lavenza chuckled, sending chills down Joker’s spine, “Then perhaps it’s not a safety measure for the Velvet Room itself, but for the inhabitants of this world. However, with your Velvet Key, it would not be a burden for you to summon it whenever you wish. You need not venture all the way out here for it.”
Joker nodded, and they fell to silence.
He passed the minutes studying his new attire that was like a second skin to him, something that felt like safety. Although his guns were left back at the bar (a mistake he’s never making again), Paradise Lost was at his hip like a faithful companion. His soul whispered with familiar chatter and the solid camaraderie of his other selves, and in the darkness of these alleyways, it almost felt like home.
Joker smiled when Satanael’s wings brushed against his mind, but that fell once a sense of deep-seated uneasiness emanated from Kohryu. Sraosha burrowed himself away from the others, too. Even Orpheus Picaro no longer hesitated at the edge of the mindscape, he finally joined the others in full.
So what was wrong with Sraosha?
“Focus on regrouping with your comrades first.” Kohryu whispered, “But then you and I will have a talk.”
The dragon’s voice faded on that ominous note. Mona saw Joker’s expression fall and sent his partner a look, but Joker shook his head.
Lavenza hugged the Compendium to her chest as she watched the exchange.
If Joker could not bare to do fusions, then she feared it would only harm him in the long run.
~*~*~*~
“Anything?” Kaito asked as he finished another uneasy lap around the attic.
“I’m sure they’re alright.” Tobita said, though it sounded as if he were trying to convince himself. Lady Stubbs was flopped over by his lap, staring unblinkingly at the window, “It’s not the first time Ren’s pulled a stunt like this and returned home, safe and sound. Besides, the others are probably with him.”
Kaito scoffed, “Define ‘safe and sound.’ I don’t think that’s in Ren’s dictionary.”
“Like the other hundred times you’ve asked, Kaito,” Manami sighed as she looked up from her screen, “No, there hasn’t been anything—”
A blessed ping echoed through the attic. A moment later her phone rang. The others crowded around her as she answered it.
“Hello?”
“La Brava!” Mr. Compress greeted happily, “I’m glad you picked up on the first ring—”
“Is everyone okay!?” She blurted, “Is Ren…”
“Oh. Everyone’s… fine. For the most part.”
“Why doesn’t he sound certain?” Tobita asked.
“What happened?” Manami patted Tobita’s arm, “The news channels are all going haywire! First that explosion, then Hawks was spotted investigating the disaster site, and then there are rumors going around that one of Joker’s summons was spotted in town!”
“Er… Technically that one wasn’t Ren’s… I think?” Mr. Compress cleared his throat, “But Ren got his powers back and may have angered a Yakuza group in the process? …By accident?”
Kaito and Tobita stiffened. Lady Stubbs tilted her head at an unnatural angle as Manami’s heart pounded.
“H-he… what?” Manami stuttered.
“But there have been some… other unexpected developments. I wanted to call and warn you ahead of time that we have some additional guests, and to prepare yourselves for certain changes. You’ll see for yourself once we get home, but I wanted to make sure we don’t encounter any surprises. Villain or otherwise.”
Manami breathed deeply through her nose. She tucked her phone into the crook of her neck and started typing.
“Okay, I’ll send you a safe route back to the bar. But when you get here we better get an explanation! Got it, mister?”
“Y-yes, ma’am. Ciao!”
He hung up, and Manami let her phone tumble into her lap. She ran her hands down her face as a headache knocked in her skull.
“This impending conversation sounds like it will need tea.” Tobita said gravely as he stood. “A lot of tea.”
“Agreed.” Kaito crossed his arms and sagged against the wall, “This is going to be a long night, isn't it?”
“Merp…”
At that, everyone in the attic agreed.
~*~*~*~TW Scene~
Chisaki stormed back into his stronghold. His subordinates took one look at his murderous expression and opened the gate for him, and bolted to the other side of the complex. Fear spread like a plague as the rats scattered and whispers broke out about his return.
Chisaki threw open the front door and stepped into sterile white walls and cold, hard floors. The sharp scent of cleaning supplies and the metallic groans of medical equipment nearby centered him, but this rage consumed his whole body with the heat of a volcano.
“Chisaki?” A familiar voice called to him, sharp footsteps coming closer. “Chisaki!”
He whirled around to the voice, breathing hard. His eyes focused on the black and gold mask approaching him, of that vigilante’s smirking face and mocking words. Chisaki moved. The man froze like a deer in the headlights when Chisaki grabbed his throat and slammed him against the wall, his other hand unmaking the black and gold bird-like mask from existence.
“Chisaki, calm down!”
Kurono’s white hood fell around his shoulders, his shocked expression visible. Pale, shoulder length hair pointed like clock hands, not messy black. Dark gray eyes, not blazing gold tinged with cerulean. Chisaki sensed people watching from the doors and around the corners, but he didn’t care.
“What happened?” Kurono asked softly as Chisaki let him go, “The search parties came up empty and it’s already past dark. I was worried… why do you smell like a sewer?”
“Where is he?” Chisaki’s voice was low and full of gravel, his skin itched and blemished with hives. His eyes burned with the fury of a thousand stars. “Where?”
“Boss!”
Another sorry dreg of human existence rushed towards them, unremarkable in every way in Chisaki’s eyes.
“I-I’m sorry! I-I only looked away for one second and she was gone—”
Chisaki became a blur. One moment the man was there, whole and intact, the next Chisaki was standing over a veritable sea of blood. The floor, the walls, a few specs dribbled down from the ceiling.
“…Kai?” Kurono whispered.
Chisaki didn’t hear him over his own laboured breathing. He swiped his fingers through the crimson pool, his skin bubbling with hives. The man was remade in a blink of an eye, gasping.
He saw Chisaki’s shadow standing over him, hand reaching for his face.
“B-Boss! I-I said I-I’m sorry!”
It didn’t matter. Kurono remained deathly still as Chisaki made and remade the man over and over and over. They were used to Chisaki throwing people away on a whim, but this…
Chisaki was deaf to the man’s desperate pleas, growing more frantic than an animal trapped in a cage. The crimson pool contained no organs or even bones, everything about his person being reduced to sickening crimson that steadily grew in size, painting Chisaki with a red wave.
Finally, after an eternity of repeated horror and death, Chisaki stopped, breathing hard. Silence, the type of terrifying disquiet where you held your breath or else you might be the monster’s next victim.
“Eri is gone.” Chisaki’s voice felt as loud as an explosive, the shadows hiding around the corners flinching, “Stolen, by Joker.”
“What?” It took everything in Kurono to not stare at the stain that had once been a person, “How? I didn’t— The explosion and rumors of a flying red serpent have been on the news. Your involvement wasn’t mentioned of course, so I didn’t think—”
“I was going to end him, but somehow he resisted my quirk.” Chisaki reached into his coat pocket for pieces of a broken mask and a crumpled, bloody top hat, “Then other people appeared out of thin air and they all escaped.”
“What? How is that possible?”
“I don’t understand it yet.” Chisaki looked at Kurono, his eyes mad and feral, “But we’re getting Eri back, and I will eradicate Joker’s sickness from this world. I know just the pawns to use to do so.”
Chisaki turned away and walked through the bloody pool. He was halfway down the hall, followed by grisly footsteps, before he turned back to his right hand man.
“Oh, and Kurono?”
“Y-yes?”
Chisaki looked at the gore in disgust. “Get this mess cleaned up.”
Chisaki walked away, uncaring of the frantic screams forged in his subordinates’ minds.