Chapter Text
CROSSING FATES:
- Era of a New Smash Universe -
[ Episode 1: Awakening in a New World ]
[party select: Joker]
[zone: Tokyo City]
[location: Yongen-Jaya District, Cafe Leblanc]
The early rays of sunlight pierced through the dusty windows of the humble cafe's attic as a new day began. At the very moment, the attic's sole occupant, a young male with wavy black hair styled in an unkempt fashion going by the name Ren Amamiya, remained asleep. Laying comfortably with an arm hanging off his makeshift bed, Ren gradually awakened from his peaceful slumber from the warm sunlight hitting his face.
Letting out a short groan, Ren slowly sat up from his bed. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Ren reached out for his glasses, a simple pair of black thick rimmed specs used to mask his rebellious attitude with an ordinary, unsuspecting look of a normal high school student. Taking a few more moments to bare his surroundings, Ren gazed around the dusty attic space he had called home for the last year.
"Can't believe I'll be leaving this place in a couple of weeks." Ren spoke to himself, taking a moment to reflect on his journey up until now.
It had been a little over a month since Ren and his friends, who've dubbed themselves the Phantom Thieves for the past few months, ended their mission to change the hearts of the corrupted and ensure their reality remained free from selfish desires. So long were the days of rebelling against the evil adults that once deceived their society, all which began due to a false accusation made towards Ren's name that practically ruined his reputation and life.
But now that Ren was able to change the heart of his accuser to confess his crimes, along with killing the god of control on Christmas Eve and saving reality from his previous high school counsellor, he and his friends could continue to move on with their lives. For Ren, however, his path would eventually take him back to his hometown, meaning he would have to say goodbye to his dear friends whom he forged strong bonds with in the last year.
"We should really plan a final hangout again before I leave." Ren thought. Reaching over for his phone laying near the head of his bed, Ren figured to message their group chat and ask for his friend's availability. Pressing the button to turn his device on, he was surprised to find that it wouldn't start up right away. "Huh, must be out of battery. I was sure I charged it overnight."
Looking over to his bed once more, Ren also noticed the absence of his feline partner-in-crime, Morgana. Although, it wasn't out of the ordinary for his friend to wake up early and go on leisurely walks in the morning by himself. Ren thought nothing of it and proceeded to do his usual morning routine.
As it was spring break, Ren didn't need to worry about rushing to get ready for school, allowing him to get dressed at his leisurely pace. Putting on his usual casual outfit consisting of an unbuttoned black blazer over a white shirt and paired with bluejeans and brown shoes, Ren made his way downstairs to the cafe to greet his guardian and owner of the cafe.
"Morning, Sojiro-san." Ren greeted, only to be met with silence as he entered the cafe area. Looking around, Ren found it odd to find it empty. By this time during the day, Sojiro would have been cooking up a fresh pot of curry or brewing coffee for any customers needing a pick-me-up to start their day. To find the cafe owner absent felt quite odd to Ren.
"Did Sojiro sleep in?" Ren assumed. Checking his watch, he noticed that it was already eleven in the morning, way past the time the shop would normally open. Knowing how diligent Sojiro was with his schedule, Ren was in disbelief that the older man would be late to his own cafe's hours of business. Assuming that something had come up in Sojiro's schedule, Ren decided to brush it off and instead take a moment to prepare his own breakfast. With the vast knowledge of coffee and curry recipes passed along from his guardian, Ren was able to whip up a delicious meal for himself. Setting his fresh plate of curry and rice, along with a mug of crisp coffee that gave off a nutty, soothing aroma, Ren prepared to dig into his food.
That was until a knock came from the cafe's door.
"Uhm… Hello? Are you open for business?" a voice called out.
Assuming it was a customer, Ren figured best to tell them that the cafe was closed until the owner came back. Looking over through the cafe's doorway however, came a shocking surprise that almost caused Ren to drop his spoonful of curry and rice.
Standing patiently outside the cafe doors was someone appearing slightly off from what a regular human looked like in the eyes of Ren. Instead, a short, humanoid figure wearing a regular white shirt, black sports shorts with an orange stripe along the side and neon pink sneakers gazed back at Ren with curiosity. Nothing out of the ordinary, except for the strange cylindrical machine strapped on their back holding orange goop and a water gun strapped to the other end, currently grasped in its wielder's hand.
What made this stranger's appearance even more of an oddity were the tentacles sprouting out of their head. From Ren's perspective, it resembled Futaba's own hairstyle with its orange color and long bang-like features that flowed over the creature's shoulders. Among its facial features were a black marking resembling a mask around their eyes, pointed ears and sharp teeth.
"Wh-What the heck is that thing?" Ren stuttered, unable to fully comprehend the sight. Was there some kind of anime convention happening that prompted this individual to wear such a weird get-up? And what was with the strange water gun in their hand?
"Hey! Are you deaf or something? I asked if y'all are closed!" the strange squid creature asked once more. Initially, Ren had difficulty understanding her question due to the Inkling's voice speaking with gibberish-like intonation.
"S-Sorry, what did you say?" Ren responded.
"Are you open or not!? I'm in serious need of an energy drink for the Splatfest happening later today!" the Inkling repeated once more, losing their patience as they began to grip their Splattershot directly towards Ren. "Answer my question or I'll cover this entire store front with ink!"
"There's no need for that really," Ren spoke calmly, shaking his head towards the Inkling. "Sorry, but the owner isn't here right now. You'll have to come back later."
"Grrggh…. Seriously? What kind of cafe is closed during a time like this? I thought these places were supposed to be open 24/7!" the Inkling groaned in frustration, kicking aside a loose pebble as she walked away. "Screw this place! I'll just go get a drink at the Arowana Mall instead!"
Ren simply watched as the Inkling disappeared from view. Many questions still jumped around in his mind about the strange creature's appearance, with even more added after his interaction with her. What exactly was a Splatfest? And what did they mean by Arowana Mall? Was this a new location that recently opened up in Tokyo? To imagine Ren's morning started in such a weird manner was an understatement. Although, his day would only escalate in strangeness from that point onward.
"Wow! Good to see that you made this scrumptious breakfast without leaving any for me!" a familiar voice spoke behind him.
"Morgana? You won't believe how weird this morning has been-" Ren sighed, turning back to greet his feline friend. Expecting the figure of the normal black cat, Ren was caught by surprise yet again when he glimpsed at Morgana's Metaverse form casually sitting in the cafe's booth behind him. "Huh? Morgana, what's going on? Why do you look like that? This isn't your normal form!"
"Excuse me, genius! This technically is my normal form, remember? You know, the body I was born in when I first came into existence?" Morgana responded. At the moment, he stood up and revealed the rest of his bipedal cat form and outfit, all complete with his yellow scarf, utility belt wrapped around his waist and mask covering the upper half of his large spheroidal head.
"Wait a minute, am I just dreaming? Or are we somehow still in the Metaverse?" Ren asked, trying to make sense of all these weird events going on as he went to rub one of his eyes. "I mean, that would explain the weird squid human I saw earlier."
"As the boss would say, hoo boy! Do I have a bigger wake-up call for you, pal!" Morgana answered, shaking his head at Ren's blissful ignorance. He began motioning Ren to follow him outside the cafe. "I hate to interrupt your delicious breakfast, but there are much more pressing matters we need to deal with right now. Come check out what's going on outside!"
Before Ren could ask any more questions, Morgana hopped out of the cafe's booth and made a mad dash towards the exit. Grabbing his bag, Ren quickly followed him outside and immediately sensed that something was off in the atmosphere. As the duo headed towards the train station through Yongen-Jaya's alleyways, Ren began to notice the oddities in the crowd around him. Among the regular Tokyo citizens going on about their day, certain individuals appeared to wear outfits consisting of a ball-shaped symbol, whether it'd be on their caps, shirts, even shoes. Initially, Ren couldn't recognize the brand, until something even more surprising caught his attention.
The greater abnormality that stood out were the various creatures walking amongst the trainers out in broad daylight. These creatures appeared to come in all shapes and sizes, and not one looking alike from another. Some appeared to have to more familiar animal shapes Ren could recognize, such as a fluffy canine with orange and black fur, or a blue turtle with abilities to spout out bubbles from its mouth. The more unique ones however, made Ren audibly gasp due to the extraordinary features they possessed, like the humanoid bodybuilder with four arms and a bipedal dark blue dragon-like creature sporting shark fin features on its head and arms.
"M-Morgana, you mind telling me what I'm looking at?" Ren asked, referring to the strange creatures walking in broad daylight.
"I'm not sure exactly. But I overheard someone mentioning them as Pokemon." Morgana responded, although even he seemed uncertain about his answer.
"Pokemon? But where did they all come from?"
"Beats me! I'm just as surprised as you are Ren. I woke up earlier and heard these weird animals walking around Tokyo. Yet no one seems to be batting an eye about it!" Morgana briefly explained his perspective. "But just wait until you see what's going on in Shibuya, Ren! Something tells me that this isn't exactly our world anymore."
"Not our world? What do you even mean, Mona?" Ren stated, wondering what his feline companion was going on about.
Arriving at the train line connecting Yongen-Jaya and Shibuya, Ren and Morgana awaited for the next train to arrive. During their wait, Ren couldn't help but continue staring around in awe at the unrecognizable creatures and people around him. He even spotted more squid-like humans with differing hair colours carrying their respective ink packs and Splattershots as they roamed around the station platform. All these oddities walking around in public, yet no one around them seemed to question this occurrence.
It was as if this was the norm for all of them.
"Morgana, are you sure we're still in our own reality?" Ren whispered down to his ally beside him. "Because I've thrown away the possibility of this being a dream with how many times I've pinched myself already."
"It's hard for me to say. It couldn't be the Metaverse since we've sealed it away after the defeat of Yaldabaoth. And I heavily doubt this is Maruki's doing, considering we've already stopped his plan to create the perfect false reality." Morgana surmised. "I hate to say this, but this is totally out of my understanding. I have no idea what's going on within this world we've woken up in."
"I'm just worried about how the others may be reacting," Ren added, thinking about his friend's reactions to the world they had woken up in. Out of habit, Ren reached for his phone in his back pocket, only to remember that it wasn't there. "Damn, I forgot to bring my phone when we left the cafe."
"We'll figure out a way to contact everyone and meet up in Shibuya. Right now, we've got a train to catch!" Morgana reassured his partner.
As Ren and Morgana boarded the next train that arrived, the duo grabbed a seat and began watching the city's newscast being showcased on the train monitors hanging near the ceiling. Popping up on screen yielded another bewildering sight for the both of them. Two co-hosts, akin to the Inklings spotted around in the city, presented themselves in a news studio. The first of the pop duo, Callie, was dressed in a purple dress with black hair and gave off a vibrant, peppy appearance from her mannerism. Her partner however, Marie, gave off a laid-back and sarcastic look while sporting her green Inkling dress and white hair. Introducing themselves as the Squid Sisters, the pop duo began to report the latest headlines.
"Good morning, citizens of Tokyo! The beautiful Callie here, reporting to you live from the Inkopolis New Studios around Shibuya! It is currently noon and we hope that you are enjoying your day so far! As I am sure you are all aware, the upcoming annual Ultimate Smash Tournament is fast approaching. If you believe you have the potential to become the next Smash Ultimate Champion, please make your way over to the Spring Stadium in the ARMS District and sign up! We are hoping to see brand new colorful faces in the arena
"Smash tournament, huh?" Ren repeated. His eyes remained fixated on the screen as footage of the exact event popped on-screen, showcasing the final round of last year's tournament with two fighters going all-out in what appeared to be a boxing ring. The previous champion, a short boxer with green boxing gloves, appeared to have trouble connecting his punches with his opponent, a young blonde girl with an orange beanie and spring-like arms, who strategically kept her distance in order to secure victory.
"Oh, hey, it's just me, Marie again. If some of you were bright enough to remember what happened in last year's tournament, you'd know that Min-Min, the ramen-loving martial artist, managed to kick her way into victory after knocking out last year's boxing champion himself, Little Mac. A crowning achievement in her Smash career, and a memorable match that everyone is somehow still talking about to this day, I guess."
"Did you hear that?" Morgana commented over to Ren.
"Yeah. I didn't know martial artists loved eating ramen." Ren replied. He looked down to his stomach and sighed, rubbing it as it growled out in hunger. "You know, I could go for a bowl of ramen right now."
"No! I wasn't talking about the ramen! Ugh, this is what I get for dragging you away from your breakfast. Focus!" Morgana sighed. "The mention of an ARMS District in Tokyo? That was never a real location in the city, right?"
Ren nodded back in regards to Morgana's quote. Another oddity to the world that the duo had woken up to. Ren began to worry about their situation even more. Not only were there completely different people in their world, but there were also new events and locations unfamiliar to them.
Just how many more radical changes awaited the duo?
"Oh! Isn't that a cute Pokemon!" a girl's voice spoke up within the train. Walking over to Ren, a Pokemon Trainer sporting a typical Lass outfit from the Galar region reached over and picked up Morgana sitting beside him. Without hesitation, she began to pet Morgana affectionately on his head, all while suffocating him in her grasp. "Sir, is he yours? If so, do you mind telling me where you caught your Pokemon? I just need to have one of these cuties myself!"
"H-Hey! I am not a Pokemon!" Morgana growled, jumping out of the Lass' grasp. By then, the train had arrived at their destination, causing Morgana to bolt for the doorway. "Finally! Come on, Ren! Let's get outta this train before another idiot starts rubbing my face again!"
"Sorry, he can be a bit feisty sometimes." Ren apologized to the Pokemon Trainer. Waving farewell to her, Ren continued following Morgana as they exited the train and headed upstairs to Shibuya Square. Arriving outside, Ren took a moment to his familiarize his surroundings.
On initial glance, the Shibuya crossing Ren once knew was not the exact same area he stood in. Instead, many newer buildings replaced the old ones found in Tokyo surrounding the square. Among these different structures included the Spring Stadium, the same one mentioned in the prior newscast delivered by the Squid Sisters. Instead of the iconic Central Street connecting to the Shibuya crossing, what replaced it was a completely new area called Inkopolis Square, where a plethora of new shops specializing in the aforementioned Splatfest events were located.
"No way… This can't be Tokyo at all." Ren gasped.
"Right? It's as if this is an entirely different city, but with remnants of Tokyo serving as the foundation." Morgana provided his thoughts. After allowing Ren to grasp the severity of their situation, Morgana gently prodded him to action. "Alright, Ren. We need to call the rest of the Phantom Thieves and figure out what the heck is going on with our reality. If this is even our reality at all."
Ren nodded. Whatever was going on, both of them understood that they needed to fix things as fast as possible. With their next mission in mind, Ren and Morgana planned to reach out to their friends and figure out a plan to reclaim their reality once more.
"Halt! Stop right there! You're under arrest!"
"What!?" Ren gasped. Both he and Morgana turned back to the station entrance, caught by surprise as two mysterious individuals eyed the duo, slowly making their way towards them.
"One wrong move and I'm taking the shot, ya hear me?" the blue feathered fighter spoke. On initial glance, the mysterious bird man was wearing a uniform akin to a pilot, with the insignia of a running fox located on the shoulder. In their feathered hands was a blaster pointed directly at Ren. Turning to his partner, he motioned him to follow through with their order. "Alright Shulk. Do your usual calm chit-chat and convince these guys to come with us. I'll keep my blaster staring at 'em and make sure they follow our orders."
"Affirmative, Lombardi." Shulk nodded back. At the moment, the blonde haired boy sported a matching navy blue long sleeve top and pants that cut short just above his ankles. Over his attire was a red vest left open with a hoodie part that was currently worn over Shulk's head. Complete his look were navy blue combat boots with red soles underneath. On his back appeared to be a mechanical blade painted a crimson red, serving as a replica to the legendary Monado used in his past adventures. Slowly approaching Ren and Morgana, Shulk calmly spoke to them. "Listen, we do not mean any harm whatsoever. If you just cooperate with us, I promise we can help you."
"Wait a minute! You're trying to help us by arresting us? That doesn't make any sense!" Morgana growled back defiantly, taking a defensive stance towards the mysterious pair, immediately sensing ill intentions from them. "And no harm? That's a total lie! I'd believe you more if the chicken standing beside you wasn't pointing a gun at us!"
"Quiet, fur face!" Falco shouted back, pointing his blaster towards Morgana. "I'm serious! One wrong move and I will shoot that mask off your face, alright? Final warning!"
"No need to be aggressive, Lombardi. They just don't understand the situation we have all been blessed in." Shulk said, attempting to calm down his partner. He then reached an offering hand out towards Ren. "But that's fine. If you just take my hand, we'll show you the way out of this chaos and help you come to light of your roles in this world."
Ren took a moment to process Shulk's statement. By his chosen words, it sounded like they possessed some sort of understanding on what was going on in this reality. But what did he mean by the mention of roles in this new world they had woken up in?
Upon closer inspection though, Ren noted a distinct feature in both Falco and Shulk's eyes – a purple mist of aura clouding around their pupils, as if evidence to show that they were under some kind of mind control.
"Ren, there's absolutely no way that I trust these guys. You feel the same way, right?" Morgana whispered to his partner, receiving a quick nod from Ren. "Okay then. On my cue, make a dash towards the square down the street. I'll distract these guys and quickly follow behind, alright?"
"Morgana, wait, what are you planning-" Ren called out.
"PEEEEERSONAAA!" Morgana yelled. In an abrupt fashion, blue flames appeared around Morgana as his Persona appeared behind him. A bulky, masked swordsman stood bravely, awaiting Morgana's command. Turning back, Morgana was surprised that his Persona reverted to its original base form after believing to have awakened its stronger forms already. "Huh? So I only have Zorro with me in this world? No matter! His power will be enough to sweep this pair of idiots out of the way."
"Damnit! Looks like being nice didn't work out at all!" Falco shouted in frustration. Taking immediate action, he began to shoot his blaster towards Morgana, only for the plasma beams to reflect away by the wind shield encircling Morgana. "Oh come on! What's up with this cat? No one warned us that they could pull off this crazy wind magic!"
"How many times do I have to tell everyone! I am not a cat!" Morgana yelled out. In retaliation, Morgana commanded his Persona to sweep Falco aside with a quick thrust of its sword, causing the blue bird to fly backwards into the bushes near the Hachiko statue. Turning back to Ren, Morgana yelled at him to move. "Ren! What are you doing? Didn't I tell you to run away!?"
"Morgana can summon his Persona here? Then that should also mean that I can." Ren stated. Understanding that this version of Tokyo possessed elements of the Metaverse, Ren took the opportunity to unlock his own Persona for battle. Focusing on his own powers, blue flames began to spiral around him as his clothes began to change. Letting out a determined yell, Ren's resolve to figure out the mystery of this new world allowed him to transform.
"PEEEEERSOOONNAAA!"
In an instant, Ren donned his Joker outfit, complete with his black trench coat attire, red gloves and signature black and white mask. Behind him was his own Persona, the one and only gentleman thief, Arsene, complete with its red figure, black feathery wings and towering black top hat. Upon being summoned, Arsene's voice called out to Ren. "Thy Trickster, you have come across this reality that reflects your own, but is not what it seems. In fact, it is as if worlds from afar collided to take over yours. Worry not, as I will gladly lend my strength to you once more as we fix the wrongdoings of this false paradise and its controllers that dare call themselves gods!"
"Oh hey! Looks like you can also summon your Persona here too. Heheh, my bad for not even thinking about that possibility." Morgana said embarrassingly, looking over to Joker as he joined his side.
"Seems like you were trying to play the hero, huh? I couldn't let you have all the fun, Mona." Joker commented back with snark.
It was only at this moment did the duo realize that they were still out in public as panicked shouts echoed around Shibuya. Many pedestrians began to back away in fear at the sight of Ren and Morgana's supernatural powers, while others stayed a fair distance and stared in awe at the spectacle.
"Oh crap! I forgot we were out in public! Come on, Joker! Let's make quick work of these guys." Morgana commanded.
"On it." Joker responded. Pulling out his dagger, Joker pointed his weapon towards Shulk as he prepared for battle. "It's showtime!"
"We gave you a chance to cooperate. Now it looks like we'll have to seize your compliance by force!" Shulk stated. Reaching behind him, Shulk activated his Monado Replica Ex. The blade began glowing as Shulk summoned a Monado Art ability. A red symbol appeared near the hilt of the blade, granting a surge of power that coursed through Shulk's body. Letting out a battle cry, Shulk charged towards Joker and jumped, aiming the Monado downwards with the intent to smash his foe down.
"Watch out, Joker! I feel a huge surge of power coming from him!" Morgana warned.
Joker immediately reacted by jumping out of the way. With Arsene's abilities on his side, Joker could make swift movements to dodge attacks with ease. Jumping out of Shulk's path, Joker witnessed his opponent slam the Monado onto the ground, creating a powerful impact that destroyed parts of the cobblestone ground. Taking advantage of his opponent being open, Joker swiftly retaliated. With the snap of his fingers, Joker fired a burst of dark Eigaon magic, directly hitting Shulk as a swirl of black fire damaged him, inflicting powerful burn damage.
"Take this!" Morgana cried out, following up Joker's attack with his own. Summoning Zorro's powers once more, Morgana swept Shulk off to the side with a burst of wind magic. With both their foes momentarily incapacitated, Morgana motioned Joker to follow him. "That should do it for the mean time. Quick! Let's get a head start outta here before they get back on their feet, preferably away from the crowd."
Joker nodded. Following Morgana's lead, the duo headed towards Central Street's former location, now called Inkopolis Square. Rushing through the crowd of Inklings, the duo took a quick glimpse of the surrounding area and attempted to figure out an escape route.
"Yeah, this is totally not the Central Street we know of," Morgana commented, looking over the various shops. A huge building called the Galleria was found to the left, offering an expansive collection of gear and weapons exclusive for Inklings. Directly north of them was the Deca Tower with a large screen monitor on the front that showcased weird terms such as Turf War and Private Battles, all which were unfamiliar to Morgana. "Geez, what is all this randomness? And why are there so many of these squid people around here?"
"Stop right there!" Falco's voice shouted from a distance. Rushing out from the Shibuya Crossing area, both Falco and Shulk gave chase towards Ren and Morgana. Aiming his blaster towards the duo, Falco began to shoot wildly at them, taking no consideration of the crowd of Inklings within the vicinity.
"Darn! Looks like birdbrain and sword boy are more persistent than we thought." Morgana grumbled.
"Let's get a move on!" Joker commanded. Taking lead, he lead himself and Morgana through the alleyway behind Deca Towers. As they escaped, the pair heard glass shattering, followed by a roar of Inklings behind them as they spewed their frustration towards Falco and Shulk.
"Hey! What's the big deal, birdbrain? You destroyed my storefront with your reckless blasting!" the owner of Ammo Knights yelled out in frustration. In response, horseshoe crab sporting a military jacket and brass binoculars on his eyes stopped Falco and Shulk in their tracks.
"Yeah! This is a no shooting zone, ya know? How can you do our boy Sheldon like that?!" an Inkling boy with blue tentacle hair commented, having witnessed the property damage on the storefront and immediately siding with the goggled horseshoe crab.
"Huh!? Hey! Get outta the way, ya octopi grunts! We're in the middle of a chase, can't ya see!?" Falco yelled impatiently. Little did he know that he would soon regret his choice of words.
"WHAT!? First you destroy my store and now you compare us to those Octarian creeps! That does it!" Sheldon flailed in anger. Sifting through his pockets, the angry store owner took out a Splattershot weapon of his own and aimed it at the duo. "Say hello to my little friend!"
"Lombardi! I keep telling you to control your temper!" Shulk argued towards his partner. He began to hold his Monado in a defensive position as a crowd of Inklings joined the ensuing chaos started by Sheldon.
"Wh-Where the heck did all these tentacle creeps get these guns?!" Falco stuttered, backing himself against Shulk as they were surrounded by Inklings ready to fire their weapons at them.
"Justice for Sheldon!" the group of Inklings yelled out. On Sheldon's command, the entire swarm began to fire their Splattershots weapons at both Shulk and Falco, covering them with ink of all kinds of colors. Helpless in the assault, Shulk and Falco both screamed as the sunk into the mess of ink raining down upon them.
"Mweheheh! Looks like they've gotten a chance to acquaint themselves with the local squid people." Morgana chuckled in amusement, catching a glimpse of Falco and Shulk being bombarded by the ink attack. "I think we should be in the clear for the meantime, Joker. How about we reconvene with the rest of the Phantom Thieves, eh?"
Joker nodded back to his partner. With the threat of Shulk and Falco behind them for the meantime, Joker and Morgana could focus their efforts on figuring out the mystery of what happened to Tokyo. But first they would need the help of their friends. Although, maneuvering through the city would prove difficult, seeing that much of the landscape had been changed. Regardless, Joker hoped that the rest of his friends were managing by themselves in this new world they woke up in. The duo began their trek through the city's backstreets, only to immediately find themselves in a dead end right away.
"Darn it, looks like we made a couple wrong turns. Figures we'd get lost in this new city." Morgana commented, finding themselves behind the Spring Stadium. Jumping over to the stadium's back entrance, Morgana attempted to unlock it with no success. "Guess we can't go through here as a shortcut. Come on Joker! Let's figure out another route-"
"Not so fast, you two!"
"MREEEOOOOWWWW!" Morgana suddenly let out a painful cry, falling onto his stomach as he was subjected to a powerful blast of electricity from above.
"Mona!" Joker called out to him.
Before even getting the chance to rush to Morgana's aid, a blue aura of light suddenly rushed through the alleyway as a figure ambushed Joker, delivering a swift kick into his side. Yelling out in pain, Ren was caught off-guard as he was immediately incapacitated by a familiar face from earlier. Joker's assailant managed to lock him into a grapple by wrapping an arm around his neck due to the power of speed they had summoned. The blade of light emitting from the Monado Replica Ex suddenly met Joker's face as his captor kept him in place.
"Sorry mate, but we couldn't let you run any further." Shulk spoke. The blue aura emitting the power of the Monado's Speed arts slowly disappeared around his body, although his entire outfit still remained in a sticky mess from the personal splat fest they received from the Inklings earlier. "Now hold still, or the Monado's power will be the last thing you feel piercing through your body."
"I should rip the fur off this stupid cat's face for getting all this ink on us!" Falco shouted in frustration, joining the others as he aimed his blaster at Morgana, who remained writhing in pain from the paralyzing shot of electricity he endured from above. "Grrrgh! You know how many showers it's gonna take getting this sludge outta my feathers? I look like a freakin' rainbow peacock now! That's not cool!"
"At ease, both of you. Remember what our masters said. We must keep the subjects alive." another voice from above called out to them.
A giant shadow slowly covered the back alley of the Spring Stadium as a large gunship blocked the sunlight. Its body appeared as a flat, circular ship, with the underside painted a metallic black and the top a dark orange. Thrusters were built near the bottom and back side to provide the ship flight, while the main cockpit area contained a wide, emerald green window providing the pilot's view. Underneath the ship, a cylindrical compartment lift popped out, containing a single figure. Joining the group below, another fighter jumped down, revealing the skintight blue zero suit they wore. The ponytailed blonde currently wielded a plasma pistol, with rocket boots that granted her powerful kicks and the ability to hover in the air momentarily.
"Fear not, for we are the Master Society's Strike Force. I am Samus Aran, leader of this group." the bounty hunter introduced herself as she paced near Joker and Morgana. "Our masters have tasked us to assist those who are lost in this world. Worry not, for we shall help you see the light that will guide you on the path of purpose in this new paradise."
"Grrggh… W-Were you the one who threw that cheap shot at me? N-Not cool at all." Morgana stuttered in pain, staring up at Samus in anger. Upon initial glance, he noticed the same shadow energy around Samus' eyes that also plagued both Falco and Shulk's. "Ehh... D-Doesn't matter anymore. But...what… do you want from… us?
"You must have questioned this already, but this world that you have woken up in is not your own. You may be confused, even terrified at the new sight. But our masters will help shape you into the beings you are meant to be in this world." Samus calmly explained to them. She then directed their attention to Shulk and Falco. "Do not be confused by my colleague's assertiveness. We all simply want the best for you. Just as our masters do for us."
"Just come with us. You'll see that our master's direction is the only path for us in this paradise he created." Shulk attempted to convince Joker.
"But if you are ignorant enough to defy us, then we'll have no choice but to shove you to the side and rid of your potential. Which would be a terrible waste, concerning the above average abilities you both possess." Falco added. "I say this from personal experience. Don't make the same mistake that others have made. Just comply!"
Joker could only look at the trio of hunters with concern. The mannerisms that they spoke with sounded off from what he was hearing. But who are these masters that they were referring about? Whoever they reported to, Joker was able to tell by their speech and the darkness in their eyes that this was not out of their own free will. They were clearly pawns under the control of someone who thought themselves a god in this world.
"We'll never bow down to you." Joker affirmed his stance to the enemy.
"So be it. If you won't comply with us, then our masters will make use of you as their own personal trophies for display." Samus stated ominously.
On command, Samus' gunship dropped a weapon from above. Catching it in her free hand, Samus revealed the weapon, a golden staff with a pair of purple snakes intertwining near the top to resemble the shape of a spear. Walking over to Morgana, Samus pointed the sceptre towards him as the snake's eyes glowed and a dark aura began to envelop around the feline.
"R-Ren… Promise me… You'll find the others!" Morgana stuttered, giving one final look to Joker before accepting his untimely demise.
"No! Morgana!" Joker called out to him. Unable to escape Shulk's grasp, Joker watched helplessly as Morgana yelled in pain as the snake sceptre's powers began to take effective, beginning the horrific process of turning him into a stone statue. At the very moment, all seemed hopeless for the duo lost in this new world they had recently awoken to. Resigning their fates as captives, Joker and Morgana were about to give up their free will until an unsuspecting miracle happened.
"Hey! Get away from them you creeps!" a girl's voice shouted into the alley. Suddenly, a burst of icicle magic flew through the air, hitting Samus as she was knocked aside and causing her to drop the snake sceptre. The cold spell created ice shards upon impact, freezing Samus' body onto the ground nearby and trapping her in place.
"Where did that come from?!" Shulk responded in surprise, looking around in an attempt to locate the ambusher. With his guard down, another fighter came from behind to free Joker from Shulk's grasp. Dropping from above, the mystery fighter attacked Shulk, knocking him aside with a connecting a roundhouse kick. Shulk screamed as he flew into Samus' direction, landing on top of her frozen body.
"Come on, get up! We're here to help." Joker's rescuer insisted, reaching a hand out to him.
Looking up to his rescuer, Joker gave a confused look as he met eye to eye with a girl sporting black hair and clad in a white tank top, a black pleated mini-skirt with suspenders, matching leg protectors and red boots.
"Huh? Who are you?" Joker asked.
"I'm Tifa Lockhart." the girl introduced herself. "Now hurry! We need to get out of here!"
"Are we seriously getting ambushed? That wasn't part of the plan, we're supposed to be the ambushers- GYAAAH!" Falco shouted in panic, only to find himself receiving the same treatment as Samus as an icy spell was shot at him. Yelling out in agony, Falco found himself knocked aside as he was frozen in place. Struggling to free himself from his icy imprisonment, Falco looked over to his attacker, staring in disbelief at their identity. Casually walking into the alley, a brunette girl wearing a red jacket over her pink dress made her presence known to the group.
"Aerith Gainsborough here! How's everyone doing today?" the peppy flower girl introduced herself, waving over to the frozen Strike Force members. As she absentmindedly twirled her silver sceptre in hand, Aerith made her way over to Morgana, sympathizing with him. "Oh, you poor thing. No worries, you're in safe hands now! Let your friendly neighbourhood Aerith help you out."
"Erggh... J-Just who are these girls?" Morgana groaned, unable to speak another word as he still writhed in pain from the torturous spell by Samus' sceptre. He suddenly found himself being gently picked up by Aerith as she caressed him in his arms. Morgana immediately felt the healing powers being emitted from Aerith's hands, delivered through a warm pulse that soothed the furs on his skin. "Oooooh... How is she doing that? Ehhhh... Doesn't matter, that feels soooo goood. Mreeeeooooooow!"
"Aw, how cute! He's purring." Aerith giggled, looking down to Morgana as she continued petting his backside.
"Is the cat okay?" Tifa asked, going over to Aerith with Joker joining alongside her.
"Morgana doesn't enjoy being called a cat," Joker commented to Aerith, immediately expressing gratitude to both her and Tifa. "Thanks again for helping us. I thought we were done for." Joker noted the absence of Morgana's complaining, instead noticing how comfortable the feline was in Aerith's arms. Before he could ask more about the mysterious duo that saved them, Joker immediately sensed danger coming from above.
"Finish them off in a single shot!" Samus' yelled out, managing to free herself from the ice as she commanded her gunship in the air to attack. Upon command, the gunship charged up its blasters on the side and began firing a plethora of laser shots towards the group below.
"Get behind me!" Joker shouted. Jumping in front of Tifa and Aerith, Joker summoned his Persona and summoned a shield of dark Eiga magic around them, covering their group as the barrage of laser shots made impact on his shield. As he used every ounce of his energy to protect them, Joker realized that they were slowly being approached by Falco and Shulk from the sides, each preparing to attack them while they were defenceless. "Dang it, I can't do anything while their gunship is shooting at us. They're gonna get the jump on us soon!"
"Cloud! A little help here!" Tifa suddenly yelled back, calling out to mercenary hidden on the rooftops.
Right on cue, the blonde mercenary wielding his trademark Buster Blade leapt off the rooftops, soaring through the air as he aimed for his targets. With a swift strike from his Buster Blade, the mercenary managed to slice apart the gunship's blasters with ease, decommissioning them from firing. Diving back down, the mercenary landed with the rest of his comrades, twirling his sword in front of him a few times before pointing it towards the Task Strike Force members.
"Head over to the escape route. I'll handle these guys myself." Cloud demanded his friends, keeping his gaze over to the Strike Force members as Samus, Falco and Shulk stared back at him in shock, before preparing their weapons for battle.
"Come on, let's get on out of here!." Aerith insisted, motioning Joker and Tifa to follow her. With Morgana remaining comfortably in her arms, Aerith began making her way out of the alleyway, heading towards their planned escape route.
"Don't worry, Cloud can handle this. We need to leave." Tifa assured Joker, noting the uncertain look on his face as he was willing to help out Cloud.
"You sure you've got this?" Joker asked the mercenary.
"Just focus on yourself, alright? Besides, you've got your cat to look after." Cloud responded coldly, motioning Joker to follow Tifa and Aerith. Watching as his friends left the alleyway, Cloud returned his gaze towards the Strike Force members as they began to approach him. Cloud broke the silence between them as he provoked the group. "You guys are definitely a colourful bunch. Tell me, who are these masters that you blindly serve?"
"Well, if it isn't the one and only, Cloud Strife. Our strike force has been debriefed about your extraordinary capabilities as a mercenary," Samus responded, dodging Cloud's question as she took out her plasma pistol, shifting it to its whip form as she prepared to fight him. "I shall ask this only once, yield your weapon and join our side. Your skills will serve tremendously for our masters plans. You have the power to help carve this world into a new paradise with us!"
"No thanks. I don't side with those who can't even think for themselves." Cloud proclaimed, unmoved by Samus' words. "If it makes you feel any better though, you're not the first people that offered me power that I've turned down."
"Then you've chosen to relinquish your freedom. What a shame to waste your efforts, Cloud Strife." Samus responded. Giving command to Falco and Shulk, Samus charged alongside them towards Cloud. Unbeknownst to them, Cloud had been charging a powerful surge of energy within his Buster Blade as they conversed. Feeling its powers reach its peak, Cloud initiated his Limit Burst ability, giving his sword a mighty swing as a light beam emitted from the blade, knocking the opposing Strike Force members into the walls and momentarily incapacitating them.
Taking the opportunity, Cloud immediately retreated, following the same path his friends had taken towards their planned escape route. Reaching the destination, Cloud was greeted by Joker as stood by a manhole their group uncovered earlier. Returning his Buster Blade onto his back, Cloud asked Joker about his teammates. "How are the others? Have they made their way into the sewers?"
"Yeah, they told me to keep watch of the entrance and wait for you." Joker responded, surprised at how fast Cloud dealt with the Strike Force members. Gazing past the mercenary, Joker couldn't help but ask about the opposing group. "Have you taken care of them? I didn't expect you to come by already."
"Don't worry about those guys. Let's focus on escaping and figure out what's going on in this world." Cloud expressed.
"This world... So do you know what's going on at all?" Joker asked, taking interest when Cloud mentioned the state of the world they stood in. In hindsight, Joker realized how out of the ordinary Cloud's group appeared to be roaming around Tokyo. "Hold on, where exactly did you and your friends come from anyway? And where did you get your abilities?"
"Look, we'll have more time to chat when we find a safe place to rest. Let's go." Cloud insisted, losing his patience as he motioned Joker into the sewer entrance. Following suite, Cloud jumped into the manhole, taking a quick moment to ensure they weren't being followed. Seeing that the coast was clear, Cloud covered their exit as he joined his friends into the city's underground.
"Damn it, looks like we've lost 'em!" Falco's voice echoed into the alley. He was accompanied by the other Strike Force members as they reached the dead end. With their intended captives out of their grasp, Falco took a moment to attend to his shoulder, still feeling the power of Cloud's Limit Break move straining his body. "Geez, I wasn't expecting the sudden power play from the blondie's sword. He makes your little Monado look like a child's toy, Shulk!"
"Don't underestimate the power of the Monado, Lombardi!" Shulk argued back, glancing over to Falco with an annoyed look before turning to their leader. "Samus, what shall we report to our masters? Surely they'll be satisfied knowing that the mercenary and his friends made their way into this world. But I doubt that will be enough to please him, knowing we let them escape."
"No worries, our intention wasn't to capture them anyway, just to confirm of their appearance. Besides, we still have unfinished business to complete in the city. It's not like we'll return to our masters empty handed, remember?" Samus reassured her teammates. At her command, Samus called her gunship over to them as she activated its tractor beam, transporting the Strike Force members back on board as they made their way over to their next location in Tokyo City. As they flew to their next objective, Samus recounted their battle with the fighters they intended to recruit, confirming the extraordinary powers a certain duo showcased.
"Cloud Strife... Joker... The masters foretold of your awakening in this world. Now... the true challenge begins."
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…
To be continued!