Chapter Text
Their Sophomore year started odd. At least for Danny it did, but technically, for him it began in the later third of their summer break.
At first he assumed he just dreamt odd stuff out of stress - a purple room with jail cells, chains and yet in the center a fancy desk on a rug, occupied by some short old man in a pinstripe suit, long nose and his two assistants - after all, why else would he dream about such a room?
But the dream repeated too regularly and consistent to be just a dream. The man always called himself Igor, the master of the Velvet Room. And his assistants - Charlene and Cheyenne, twin women in marine blue secretary fits, with the palest blonde hair he ever saw and unnaturally yellow eyes - were also always consistent across dreams.
Charlene treated him as a human boy, while Cheyenne only paid attention to his ghostly half. All three of them were aware that he is Phantom, but they paid this no mind. Igor and his assistants were occupied by their cryptic warnings about incoming ruination of humanity.
It was a common occurrence for Danny to mutter, "This Igor is more cryptic than even Clockwork. And that should mean something..."
Danny only made sense of the dreams come late August and the new school year started. When Sam's activism became more intense, more mean-spirited and Sam herself, mire demanding.
"Something is off with Sam..." Tucker stated, after Sam proposed her new big demonstration on their third lunch break in: when the Homecoming Game is happening in late September, her activist group will storm the field. All attention on the Athletes will be on them.
Which will ruin the game for everyone and end for them specifically in expulsion.
The Casper High Faculty does not hide how much they favor the athletes, so ruining their big events will be punished harder than it should be. Especially under consideration of their already heavy files.
Sam made clear that day, "If you don't partake, our friendship ends."
Now, this did not explain the dreams. The clarity came two days later when they tried to talk to Sam the following Saturday. As they approached Sam's home, Tucker's PDA made a weird noise and reality just... melted.
Her home became some sort of twisted castle.
For some reason they pressed on and entered. In there, they found a lot. Weird versions of Sam and her parents, demons that shift their form and Amour.
She was similar to the demons, aside from not attacking them on sight. And while most demons donned knight's armor, Amour was tiny, bird-like and stuck in a jail cell.
After freeing her, they left, taking Amour with them. "I can't tell you in here, they might listen in on us." was all she said when asked about anything while in the palace.
When they reached their original plane of existence... Amour was a tiny, pale blue Lovebird. A fluffy, cute parrot. Who spoke.
Not in the sense that parrots parrot humans, but in the sense that she spoke like a human.
But only Tucker and Danny could understand her, to anyone else - like Jazz and their parents who just assumed Danny found a stray parrot and allowed to keep her - Amour just sounded like any chatty Lovebird.
"Seriously? Calling a Lovebird Amour? This is even for you a cheesy pun." was all Jazz said, deep into her college application madness. "I won't help you with the bird, she is your responsibility and you signed up for it. A bird is nothing to take lightly."
But Danny and Tucker heard her explanation of the castle.
Amour explained there is a plane of existence called the Metaverse, it is representative of Humanity's subconsciousness. But it is separate from the Ghost Zone, which is Afterlife-adjacent.
"... some people, their heart, their soul corrupts. To the point they form so called Palaces, places reflecting their distorted desires." she explained while they hang out in Danny's room after returning from Sam. "Their corrupted self, their Shadow, rules them."
"So, this weird version of Sam... is Sam?" Tucker asked, Amour nod. "But as the Palace Ruler, isn't she supposed to rule?"
The Sam they saw in that Palace was a damsel in distress, a princess locked in a tower by her parents. Not an independent ruler, not the Sam they know.
"Sometimes it happens that they feel caged and that others control their lives. Common in minors, really." Amour clarified. "It seems to be the case with Sam. You said she always fights for her freedom and self expression? Sounds like someone who feels chained. A free mind won't feel the need to fight for freedom, but someone restricted."
"So what now?" Tucker wondered.
"She had threaten you two, yes?"
"Yeah, ending our friendship if we don't help her hijack the Homecoming game with her activist group." Danny recalled. "Can we end that corruption?"
"Yes. Each ruler has a treasure, symbolizing their deepest desire and corruption. If you steal it and get it out of the palace, you change their heart." Amour explained. "At least, this is what a group of Persona users in Japan did. Or so I heard."
Tucker raised an eye brow. But Danny distracted him. "We need to this. For Sam. For our friendship."
His friend sighed. "I figured you would say that. So, how do we use Persona's?"
"Let me introduce you to Mementos." Amour chirped.
Sam's Palace was the testing ground for their Persona's, Marconi for Tucker – who Amour described as a Navigator – and Danny's Persona, Paracelsus. And Amour, her Persona was Leanan Sidhe.
"Unfair, you can use multiple!" Tucker complained as they moved though the palace.
"Shut up and focus, Data!" Amour chided, using his code name. Her own code name was Admirer, meanwhile Danny's was Blackbird, referring his black feather cape of his Metaverse suit. "Blackbird is a Wildcard, Data! They are special. Now stop complaining, you couldn't handle the additional responsibilities of the Wildcard."
When they had the full infiltration route mapped out, Amour pointed out they need to get her attention. "The other group used Calling Cards. But if we do this or something similar, we need a name." she explained.
"Well, we copy these other guys already, what did they call themselves?" Tucker asked, pointing out their copy cat behavior.
"The Phantom Thieves of Hearts."
Danny decided, "What about the Phantom Thieves of Souls? Sure, we are similar but we are not them."
"I like it!" Amour chirped.
But Tucker disagreed. "Should we really take something with Phantom in it? Considering..."
"It is referring the Phantom Thieves Trope. Thieves moving like shadows, sending calling cards." Danny said, Tucker stared at him. "Hey! I try to listen to Lancer's lectures, I just physically can't half the time!"
"In that case we are the Phantom Thieves of Souls." Amour decided.
When they got her treasure – a sign for her next demonstration, defeated her shadow – and be careful not to end the Shadow as it would end Sam herself – and escaped the palace – at which the sign turned into Ida's old college ring – the waiting game began.
Sam shut herself off from them, from anyone, really. So when the Homecoming game against the Elmerton Ironheads started without a tone from Sam, they were worried. Only when the half time show of the Cheer Squad began did Sam show up. But not accompanied by her fellow activists like originally announced.
Instead she sat with them, watching the game. Only after the game ended and Elmerton lost – no surprise there – did Sam start to talk. "I am sorry. My idea... it was stupid. You would have gotten expelled for a demonstration that would have failed anyway."
"Now, now, Sam! Saying it would have failed-" Tucker tried to cheer her up, but she interrupted him.
"The Demonstration had no real goal, no real, realistic demands. Just angry yelling." Sam clarified. "I don't know what was going on with me."
"It is okay. You overcame it, right?" Danny offered, smiling at her.
"I suppose." She agreed. "So, did anything happen while I was?"
"No." Danny lied.
Tucker then added, "Danny got a pet now. A Lovebird!"
"Just one? But they are flock birds-"
"We found her on the sidewalk. A rescue." Danny lied. "Hey, the game is over. We could introduce you to her."
"That would be nice." Sam said as they left the game field. "So, your parents allowed a pet?"
Not even a week later they discovered another Palace. One that hit close to home.
It started when he just wanted to borrow one of Jazz' old backpacks. Other guys won't touch their sister's stuff, but as Jazz loved pale blues, he didn't need to worry about 'girly' backpacks when it came to Jazz' closet.
So when he tried to figure out where she kept her old, discarded backpacks – they tend to be discarded because they are too small, as they don't fit all her electives... which means they tend to be rather unused – he instead found her laptop open. The screen showed two things. An acceptance letter to Harvard's Psychology program and a reply written by Jazz: a rejection.
"But that was her dream..." he muttered.
The backpack was forgotten and instead he checked for a palace. Meaning he called Tucker, whose main PDA runs the MetaNav. Their phones run it too, but the Nav is easier to use on the PDA.
"Is it really save discuss her mind castle here?" Sam asked as they sat in Danny's room, discussing what Danny found.
"Palace, not castle, Sam." Tucker corrected her while fiddling with his PDA.
The Nav rang, 'Candidate found.'
They sighed. "So, Jazz has a palace." Sam asked, "What now?"
"We need to figure out the location of her palace and what the distortion is." Amour explained. "Like your home was distorted into that castle, you felt caged in luxury."
Sam nod. "Okay. Maybe we could try FentonWorks for her location?" 'Address found.' She smirked. "First try, nice. Not bad for a newbie."
"Yeah, you learn fast. Keep it up, Midnight." Amour said. "Hm, your code name is a bit long..."
"We could shorten it to Midna? Like we call Danny Birdie sometimes." Tucker offered. "Or just Night."
Danny sighed, "Focus, guys. We need to figure out her Distortion. What does she see FentonWorks as?"
"You probably could just ask her. She is your sister, after all." Sam offered. "But knowing her she may try to psychoanalyze you..."
Danny nod. "Yeah, yeah. But I do that."
Danny took a deep breath before knocking on his sister's door. "Jazz?"
"Come in!" she replied. He walked into her room. Jazz sat on her desk, but her laptop was closed. "Danny! Do you need something? Is there an issue? Do you need assistance with the thing?"
He shook his head. "Nothing Phantom related, Jazz. Quick question, how do you view FentonWorks? And don't answer home, that doesn't help with my homework." he lied.
"Oh, interesting question. Hm." Jazz thought. Then they heard something explode downstairs and their parents cheering. She sighed, "I'm not sure if you should mention this in your essay or whatever, but sometimes FentonWorks is an asylum. Or a circus. Depends if dad is home alone."
"Huh. Thanks anyway." he replied, leaving the room.
"An asylum or a circus?" Sam repeated what Danny told them. "Both checks out."
Tucker then put in 'Circus' into the Nav. 'Conditions have not been met.'
"Try Asylum next." Danny stated.
'Conditions met. Beginning navigation.'
FentonWorks was replaced with a massive asylum, placed in the middle of Amity Park's Townhouses. No one of the civilian Shadows walking past the brick house paid attention to it, then again their eyes were covered with an eye wrap.
"Creepy..." Tucker – Data – muttered. "But why does she consider everyone to be blind?
"No idea, dude. Considering how often my parents are in the news, it is safe to say everyone has their eyes on them all the time." Danny – Blackbird – said. "The portal opening was in the news for weeks."
"The blackout it caused was in the news." Sam – Midnight - corrected him. "The portal itself only became news worthy once everyone realized ghosts are real." She wore a dark indigo trench coat. While her mask was formed like silver wings, a two sided battle ax was strapped to her back. Accompanied by Uzi's on her waist.
"Of course S-Midnight got the fire power." Data complained.
Amour – Admirer – rolled her eyes. "Stop complaining, Data. As a Navigator, you're not supposed to be a fighter."
"Easy for you to say, you're the healer."
Blackbird rolled his eyes. "Guys, focus! We need a point of entry."
"Already scanning our surroundings." Data stated. His Metaverse suit is funny. It looks like a player outfit from Doomed. Specifically it looks like Danny's suit, just colored orange. Well, with the addition of a fat screen on the right arm. It won't be Tucker without tech.
The Shadows in this palace, looking like nurses, doctors and orderlies, did not attack them on sight. They treated them, especially Danny, as patients. This became clear when they found Cognitive Danny – the cognitive depiction of how Jazz sees Danny – who was a 'high-priority patient' according to the Shadow orderlies. Cognitive Danny was in a very secure cell – locked and very luxurious from what they saw – and off limits.
Now the Shadows – most of which, it turned out, were of the High Priestess Arcanum and used Bliss, Psyche and Wind magic – fought them off.
At first they assumed it was because Jazz' office was nearby – a place they expected the treasure at – but no, it was the cell.
But this revealed one thing to the Phantom Thieves...
As they rested in a Save Room, Sam put together what they saw. "Your sister considers FentonWorks an asylum, sees you as someone in need of care and protection and she wants to reject Harvard? Sounds like she wants to stay in Amity Park to keep an eye on you."
"But mom and dad." Danny wanted to counter.
Tucker shrugged, "Depending on how Jazz sees them... eh, your family isn't exactly normal, dude."
Danny sighed. "This palace will be difficult."
Their first attempt at an infiltration took a while before they got started. While Danny took his sweet time in the Velvet Room, his friends discussed how to enter the Asylum.
It took them what felt like two hours that they can just use the main entrance and claim they are visitors.
"Okay, now I feel stupid." Data muttered as they passed the reception area.
Admirer ribbed him, "This shows how useless of a Navigator you are, Data."
Blackbird told them, "Please stop it you two. You can argue back home all you want, but now we need to focus."
Sam hummed, "Wow, you really operate different in here. Did you act like this in my palace, too?"
"Not at first, but by the end, yeah." Data said, "Your palace was a lot of trial and error... and getting a hang on things."
Their first idea to find the treasure was to find Jazz' office. As it turns out, her shadow takes the role as the head doctor of the asylum, thus she had an office in there. They figured as it was her palace, something important would be in her office, which correlated to her own room in the real world. It was like that with Sam: her treasure was in her room.
There was no treasure, but they met Jazz' Shadow. Dr. Jasmine... Spencer? At least the plaque on the door to her office read that.
"Mom's maiden name? Why is... could this mean she plans to change her surname?" Blackbird wondered. "Wait no, her maiden name was Runner..."
Admirer chirped, "She sees your parents in a bad light. It makes sense she wants to distance herself from them like that."
"Not to mention the name Fenton got quite the reputation." Midnight added, before attempting to crack the lock. But as she fiddled on in, the door opened and they met Jazz' yellow-eyed Shadow. "Oh, hello..." She stepped back to the others.
The Shadow looked at them. "Mm, are you visitors or patients?"
"Visitors." Data lied on the fly. "We, um, got lost."
Jazz' shadow crooked their head. "Oh really? I didn't think the asylum would be that complicated. Then again I spend all my time here." She walked back into her office. "I think I have a map somewhere... wait here."
While Jazz' subconscious looked for a map, Admirer took a peak into the office. It was clinically tidy. From the massive desk to the file cabinets to the full wall-high bookshelves lining the walls, nothing was out of place. She growled and got behind Blackbird again. "The treasure isn't here, I can't sense it. Dead End."
Jazz' Shadow then reappeared and gave Blackbird a map. "Here you go! Please listen to the orderlies while here! The basement is off limits for visitors!" She then closed the door and walked away... to the direction of the basement.
"Should we follow her?" Midnight asked.
Admirer shook her head. "No, it is bad to risk a fight with the Palace Rulers before we got an infiltration route. I think we should seek out a Safe Room. Blackbird, what does the map say?"
"Not much. The map's just showing stuff that isn't off limits. No Safe Room here." he told them. "Let's search for one, so that Data can process the map."
In the Safe Room – an area where the influence of the Palace Ruler is the weakest – Data took a good look of the map. "While it only shows areas approved for visitors, the areas not shown are telling. A big void of nothing near the kitchen." Data told them, marking an area where nothing was on the map. "Wanna bet the basement is there?"
"It would make sense as the basement lab is by the kitchen in FentonWorks." Blackbird concluded. "Lets go there next."
Admirer added, "It would fit how your sister sees your parents."
Sneaking though the kitchen was easy, but as they reached the entrance to the basement, they were meet by a wall of security Guards. "This area is off limits!" the Shadows screeched.
"Oh, shut it!" Midnight snapped. She then called her Persona, starting a fight, "Boutica!" Her Persona resembled the Celtic Warrior Queen.
Admirer sighed, "Seriously? Oh well... Leanan Sidhe!"
"Paracelsus!" Blackbird just said, calling out his main Persona. "Data, anything to say?"
"I don't think you can fight these guys... at least Marconi tells me to leave."
But Midnight didn't heed his Persona's warning, "Mabufu!" She used her ice magic on the guards, but they were unbothered.
"Mapsi!" Admirer tried her Psycho magic, but like Midna's ice, it didn't affect them. "Ah, dodge!"
The Guards fought back, pushing them away from the basement. Blackbird jumped behind them, "Maeiga!" His curse spell didn't do anything. "Data!?"
"They resist your spells! Retreat!"
"Resist?! Now resist that!" Midnight yelled, before shooting them with her Uzi's. When her ammo was empty, she stepped back. "Oh no..."
"Retreat!" Data repeated. "Retreat now!"
"Let's go!" Blackbird yelled and they fled.
When they retreated to the Safe Room, the Phantom Thieves were out of breath. "Any ideas what to do now?" Midnight asked.
Blackbird explained, "When we were stuck in your Palace, we returned to the real world, rested for a bit. Restocked our supplies. Albeit Data was analyzing the map we had of your Palace."
Data shrugged, "In that case what we mapped out ourselves. Well, unless anyone has a different idea, I say we do that again."
"In that case we leave." Blackbird decided. "I would say we didn't do too bad for our first day in this palace."
Back in the real world, Danny split the tasks until their next infiltration attempt. "Sam, your task is to procure medical supplies, Val, you and I get the rest. I send you two lists later." He then turned to Tucker. "And you will analyze the map we got. Maybe you can find something?"
Amour chirped, perched on his head, "Alternatively we have to explore the whole palace and have to brute-force a way."
Valerie huffed, "Meaning? Fighting every shadow until we can kick the guard's butts?"
"Basically." Amour admitted. "But we have a deadline, so we can't waste too much time."
Danny nod, "I don't want to see what happens when Jazz hits her breaking point. Sure, she'll shut down her acceptance, but what else would she do afterwards? Not a risk I want to take."
It was in Lancer's class when Sam noticed it. Her Persona, Boutica, was speaking to her. She could answer her in her head, she could see her. Then she discovered their Persona's can communicate between each other.
"Stop it, Paracelsus! Like his user, Marconi is an idiot whose ideas should be taken with a grain of salt!" Boutica complained.
Issue is, she can't hear nor see the other Persona's, only Boutica, but from the context she got a hunch Tucker got a stupid idea and tries to pull Danny in. Sam thought, "Boutica, tell them whatever they plan, to shut it and focus, we need to keep our cover."
"Of course, Sam!" her Persona replied. "Paracelsus, Marconi, tell your egg heads to drop it!"
The Phantom Thieves sat in Danny's room. The yelling from downstairs – Jazz argued with their parents again – assured them no one would interrupt them as they are busy with their contradicting opinions. Danny, as the defacto leader, started their discussion by asking, "Tuck, did you find anything out? A potential route, maybe?"
Tucker nod. "Yeah. Well, it is more that I want to test something. The map hints at air vents. I think there is a vent that leads to the basement. The in-point should be on a higher level. And it would be a vertical drop off."
"But we skip the heavily guarded entrance to the basement." Danny concluded. "Unless anyone got a better idea, we'll try this."
Dam interjected, "Eh, yes but no. We should get a grappling hook or something. If we need to get up again. Let me get it, I should have it tomorrow."
Danny nod. "Yes, but today we at least could explore upstairs and maybe find a Save Room upstairs."
Amour chirped, "Looks like we got a plan for today! Lets get started."
Getting upstairs wasn't hard, they just could take the stairs as they were permitted for visitors. The asylum then split into two wings, one being notably more guarded.
Admirer stated, "There must be something important. Shall we loot or secure the safer wing first?"
Midnight ignored her and asked her own question, "Data, which floor has the vents?"
"Both do, but to different parts of the basement." he replied, checking his tech. "Not sure which side of the basement has what we are looking for, so I say it doesn't matter which vent we take. Should we play it safe?"
Blackbird thought about it. He decided, "We will infiltrate the secured wing. I want to know why this part is more secure. Who knows, maybe we find something useful there."
With that, they kept to the shadows, sneaking past guarding spirits into the corridor.
The walls were lined with doors at even distances, plaques besides the doors. "Patient rooms? I mean, we are in an asylum." Blackbird mused. He noticed the doors got small windows to pique into the rooms. "Should we take a look? Maybe it helps us to understand her if we see who she considers patients?"
Data shook his head. "Do as you please, I won't. Can't risk seeing something disturbing."
Midnight rolled her eyes. "Her palace is the most squeaky clean asylum in existence. I doubt it is that disturbing."
He countered, "Jazz regularly reads books, very detailed books, about real disorders. For all we know some of these cognitive patients have body integrity identity disorder. Something I don't wanna see..."
Midnight raised an eye brow. "Body integrity-what is that?"
"Apotemnophilia. Jazz told us about it,", Data said gesturing between Blackbird and him, ", when she tried to get us interested in psychology. It happened while you were distanced. According to her, it got renamed into BIID."
Blackbird added, "She was excited, because the new name would mean it is taken more seriously and not seen as... a sexual paraphilia. She was very excited and needed someone to talk."
"And as her brother, you were her victim. I see." Midna mocked him. "I still take a look."
"Same." Blackbird added. With that, Midnight and him piqued into the small windows. He sighed. "Nothing of note, the patients barely look human."
Midnight shrugged, pressing her ear against a door. "Eh, this guy yaps about peanut butter." She then moved away from the door. "Okay, lets continue. We goofed around enough."
With that the squad continued down the corridor until the path split. Again, one corridor was heavily guarded compared to the other. "My sensors pick up a concentrated presence." Data said, "Other than that, the corridor is empty."
"Sounds like loot to me!" Admirer chirped. "Data, is a vent entrance down this corridor?"
"Yes, actually." he confirmed. "Well, then it is decided, lets go!"
With that decided the Phantom Thieves pressed on, keeping to the walls in case they need to hide quickly.
As they were about to turn another corner, Blackbird froze and walked back. "Yeah, two guards guarding a heavily locked down door. Whatever is behind must be important."
"To the Palace's functions or to Jasmine?" Admirer asked. "Well, doesn't matter now. Shall we engage in a fight?"
Blackbird peaked around the corner first. He then saw that some rooms nearby are open. "I see an open room." Then they heard the clacking of shoes on linoleum. Looking back from where they came, Blackbird saw Shadow Jazz approach, flanked by two Shadows. He decided, "Lets sneak in there first until she is gone."
The group rushed into the room. The guards didn't pay their movement much mind as their attention was on Jazz' Schadow.
"Doctor Spencer! Visiting the patient?" one of the guarding shadows said in a low, grumbly voice.
"Of course. If you would be so nice to open the door for me?" she replied.
Blackbird and Data peaked out of the room. As the heavy doors opened, a patients' room was revealed to them. One more individualized.
Instead of bland, white walls, they spotted colorful posters, a dark blue rug and a bed with starry covers. On the bed sat the patient. With the raven hair, a Lichtenberg figure on the right arm and the yellow eyes of a Shadow, they realized the patient was a cognitive version of Danny.
Blackbird took some steps back into the empty room they hid in. "She sees me like a patient? But I-I fight ghosts, I protect the city. I'm not weak-"
Midnight interrupted him, grabbing his shoulders strongly, "Hey, hey, calm down. Don't take it personally. It is Jazz were talking about. It won't be the first time she means well but misunderstands something."
Data added, "And it kinda makes sense, Birdie. Think about it, when you had your accident, she was furious your parents didn't bring you to the hospital. She pushed to a doctor visit for weeks afterwards."
Blackbird nod. "Right, yes. But still. It is weird she sees me like this." He sighed. "Data, are the vents nearly?"
His friend and team mate checked the map. "Eh, we should have gone down the other corridor. Should we make a run for it?"
Midnight proposed, "We leave after the Palace Ruler leaves."
Birdie nod. "I have to agree. We can't risk fighting her yet."
That decided they lingered in the room, avoiding making any sound. Blackbird and Data kept close to the door, listening for any movements of Jazz. After what felt like an hour, they heard the opening of a door, metal on metal clanking as the locks opened, followed by the clicking of her shoes on the flooring.
"I visit you again later, Danny, got work to do."
The cognitive version replied. "I know! I know. I just wanted to ask, could I visit them?"
Silence took over the corridor. After a while Jazz spoke. "Danny, we talked about this before. You can't see them."
"But they are my parents-"
"But they harm you!" Shadow Jazz snapped at the cognitive version. "They will continue to harm you. Until you accept this, you can't leave your room for your own good. They are our parents, yes, but they aren't good parents. Parents aren't supposed to nearly kill their children. You stay here, end of story."
The door closed and Shadow Jazz, once again flanked by two shadows, walked away, her shoes clicking on the linoleum.
When they were sure the Palace Ruler was gone, Blackbird dashed out of the room, down the corridor into the emptier one. His team running behind him.
Only when they found a Safe Room did they dare to tall about what they saw.
"Well, this confirms my theory." Admirer chirped. "Your parents are the root of her issues."
"She has a point, you're too soft on your parents." Midnight judged.
Birdie just sighed. "Data, the vents?"
"Nearby. Midnight, you got the grappling hook?" Data replied. Midnight just pulled the item out of her coat. "Blackbird, you good, man? Do you need a break to process this or..."
"We push on." he decided. "I want to destroy this Palace as soon as possible."
The cover of the vent was discarded with a clank. After the hook was fixated safely, they climbed down the vents. Aside from Admirer, who just flew down, thanks to her bird wings.
Three levels down, they left the vents and were greeted by darkness. Data announced, after checking his arm screen, "Ladies and Gentleman, the basement."
"Oh really? I couldn't tell by all the darkness." Mignight sassed.
Birdie told then, "My night vision works in here."
"What?" Midnight voiced.
"My ghost powers work here." Blackbird clarified. Then he remembered, "Oh, right, this is your first Palace. When we infiltrated your palace, we assumed my powers don't work here. But looks like I am wrong."
"In that case, lead the way. After all you're the leader." Midnight told him.
Blackbird just rolled his eyes. "Fine, follow me."
A massive door opened, revealing the main part of the basement, fully illuminated. Blackbird theorized, "This door must correspond to the vault door of the weapons vault."
"You know, maybe your sister has a point." Midnight mused, "What parents have weapons vaults?"
Data gasped dramatically, "Who are you and what did you do to Midnight! Seriously, Midna, you always say how much better Mr. and Mrs. F are compared to your parents!"
"My old self said that." Midnight pointed out. "The one that hated my parents to an absurd degree and saw everything they dislike as good without thinking."
Blackbird sighed. "Focus, guys. Admirer, do you send the treasure somewhere?"
Admirer nod, "Yes! It is close! Very close in fact!" She flapped around in excitement, out into the open.
"Look! A ghost!" a familiar voice boomed. "A shame I can't shoot it."
Looking around, they found the source across the room in holding cells. A cognitive Version of Jack Fenton. And in a cell right besides him, a cognitive version of Maddie. "Maybe Jazz sees we are right if we show this bird-ghost to her?"
"Hm." Data voiced. "Oh, they think Admirer is a ghost."
"She got their obsession of ghosts on point." Midnight stated. "Admirer, ignore them and focus on tracking.
Admirer nod and walked around the basement, before pointing at another vault door. "Behind this door!"
Blackbird nod. As he approached the door, he noticed the basement was basically a lab. Maybe more of a medical lab than an ectology lab, but a lab is a lab. With a sigh he realized, "This is the lab. Our lab. This vault door is where the portal would be."
Admirer pointed out, "It makes sense she pictures them down here. Your parents spend too much time than healthy down here."
Midnight agreed, "I'm surprised she hadn't diagnosed them as clinically workaholic or something." Data nod in agreement while trying to hack into the vault door to open. "In conclusion, only Data's parents are good parents." The vault door then opened.
"Focus, everyone!" Blackbird commanded, "We are nearly done here!" he walked into the vault, followed by his team. They walked down a small path leading to a small chamber. In there was a glowing ball. The treasure, but it isn't solidified yet. "Infiltration route secured, everyone. Lets leave this place, we need to plan the heist."
Days later, when Casper High opened its doors to the students, the faculty and student body was greeted by a surprise: every surface in the school was covered in small, red cards. Some places, like certain clubs like the debate club were covered more, while some like the football team's locker room was neigh untouched.
The same could be said for the lockers. Some lockers didn't have one card on it, others were covered like a mosaic. And then there was Jazz Fenton's locker, covered to the point you didn't see the original pale green color of the lockers anymore.
One student – Tiffanie Snow, the head of the school News Paper High-Lite – ripped a card off her own locker. She gasped, "The Phantom Thieves of Souls strike again!"
Tiffanie remembers the first time someone reported on them – as she wrote the article for High-Lites – after Sam Manson's calling card was dropped out of the vents in the cafeteria at lunch time. 'Samantha Mansion, Ruler of Philautia, Ruler of Selfishness' the calling card called her. The card was an enigma to this day, especially after Mr. Lancer explained Philautia was a sub category of love from Ancient Greece, self love. Additionally to that, they don't know what the Phantom Thieves stole from Sam, just that her behavior changed strongly days after getting her card.
Tiffanie then cleared her throat and read out loud the message, 'Jasmine Fenton, Ruler of Agape, Ruler of Sacrifice,
"In your selflessness you are in the process of sacrificing your future. You think you are helping, but we won't allow you to ruin yourself in a misguided attempt to help. For that, we will steal your Soul's treasure.
"Signed, the Phantom Thieves of Souls."
The students in ear shot broke out in murmurs about the message. "It is her." someone said as Jazz entered the school. Tiffanie handed her the card.
"House of Leaves, give her space!" Mr. Lancer yelled. He stepped between Jazz and the other students. "Ms. Fenton, follow me. Everyone else, I told you last time stop being hawks! She is getting targeted by these Phantom Thieves!"
Someone from the basketball team pointed out, "The Phantom Thieves can't be that dangerous, considering Manson is doing just fine." But Lancer isn't listening to them and guided Jazz away from the crowd.
As soon as Casper High let out for the day, the Phantom Thieves navigated to the Metaverse. The second they found themselves in front of the palace, the asylum, the dark aura of the place pressed onto them. Admirer shivered, "Can you sense that? Jasmine is tense. She awaits us."
"Then lets get moving, to the vault!" Blackbird commanded.
When they arrived in the vault, the treasure took the shape of a framed diploma, floating in the air unbothered. Under it, Shadow Jazz stood, eyeing the diploma. Her accompanying guards nowhere to be seen.
"There you are." she said before turning around. Jazz took three steps to them, her heels clicking on the metal floor of the vault. "I don't know what your reason is to do this, but you can still leave and I won't pursue you."
Blackbird shook his head. "We won't give up. You're harming yourself in a misguided attempt to help!"
Shadow Jazz sighed. "Oh well. It is on you when you regret it." While other Shadows morph when they fight, Jazz' shadow remained the same, sans for two ink black angel wings sprouting from her wings, donning golden eyes. "I need to do this." She then plucked two of her black feathers, wielding them as swords.
Admirer turned to Blackbird, "I understand if this will be hard for you to face her, so at least support us. Or at least distract her."
Midnight shook her head. "No! Blackbird, push through. You said yourself this needs to be happening!" She then summoned her Persona, Boutica. "Do the same. Now."
He nod. "On it. Paracelsus!"
"That's the spirit, Blackbird!" Admirer yelled before calling out her own Persona, "Leanan Sidhe! Make her cry!" Data shuddered at her battle cry.
Shadow-Jazz spread her wings, the eyes on them. "I won't cry, you the ones with issues."
"Says the person who plans to ditch an Ivy League. Like who does that?" Blackbird replied. He then ripped his mask off, casting a spell, "Paracelsus, Eiga!"
Jazz' eyes widen. She gasped and dodged the attack, looking at Blackbird as his mask reappeared on his face. "Danny..." She said. "You left your room!" She flapped her wings, taking into the air. The high ceiling of the vault gave her room to fly, but she dived at Blackbird. He dodged her swoop, using the closeness to cast Maeiga on her.
But that didn't follow Shadow-Jazz from following Blackbird. For every step or jump he takes away from her, she comes closer. Ignoring the others' attacks, even her wing eyes tracked Blackbird and only him.
"Wow, she is more tunnel-minded than the Jocks at a football game." Midnight pointed as she dodged Jazz as she rushed to Blackbird. When the Ruler had her back to Midnight, she cast Mabufu at the Ruler, freezing her. "Admirer, move!"
"On it!" she replied, "Leanan Sidhe, Mapsi!" Admirer cast her purple psych magic at her, to no effect.
Data mused, "Makes sense Mrs. Psychology resists Psy magic."
"Admirer, use your throwing stars!" Blackbird commanded. Admirer nod and jumped onto the air. As she felt gravity's pull on her, she threw her vaguely heard shaped throwing knives at Shadow-Jazz. Before they hit, Blackbird yelled, "Jazz! I'm here!" She stood still, staring at him, before the knives hit her wings and back.
She yelled in pain, before dropping to the floor. Her wings turned to dust. "Why are you doing this? I just want to help you, Danny!" she cried, grabbing his leg.
"You throwing away your chance to attend an Ivy League helps no one!" Blackbird argued. "You're just hurting yourself!"
Her grasp on him tightened. "But they can't take care of you properly! What if they discover you are Phantom?! What if they hurt you intentionally while I am gone?"
"You said to me they would accept me." Blackbird pointed out, "That they would love us regardless."
"I think I am wrong about this!", she admitted, "They are too fixated on their life work to ditch their goal to capture Phantom at the drop of a hat! They are obsessed! Fanatic even!"
Blackbird kneed down. "Then it is even more important that you go. You need to establish yourself to help me leave their house." He offered her a hand. "Go to Harvard, build a foundation away from Amity Park. I'll need a base of operations elsewhere if they really cross that line."
Shadow-Jazz took it and turned to dust. Admirer then called, "I got the treasure! Lets move!"
Then the palace started shaking. "What she said!" Data called. "The Palace collapses! Midna, move!"
The Phantom Thieves ran, passing and dodging shadows on the way out.
"So what now?" Sam asked as they re-copulated in Danny's room. "That palace is gone, so she is back to normal? Or..."
Amour clarified, "Yes, but it takes a while for the actual heart of change to happen. Think of it this way, the theft of her treasure and the subsequent collapse of her palace created an instant change in an opinion, a decision of hers. She and any other target takes a while to process these changes and re-evaluate. This process has a peak, where they normally confess their past mistakes in an attempt to fix them."
"So we wait for her to have a mental breakdown now?" Sam asked with an eye brow raised.
"Well, to be overwhelmed by emotions is more accurate." Amour stated. "But basically yes. This does mean... waiting."
While his parents were the prime example of tunnel-mindedness, even Jack and Maddie didn't miss that their daughter acted weird. She spend all her times in her room, didn't eat with them and avoided them at all costs.
"Maybe it is a belated rebellious phase?" Jack wondered, recalling some of the psychology stuff Jazz told them, even if her explanation was aimed at Danny's behavior back then.
His wife just shrugged. "She received a calling card of these Phantom Thieves, maybe she is afraid of what they do?", Maddie theorized.
"Phantom Thieves? You mean Phantom is targeting our girl?"
Danny snapped at him, stopping him before he could hype his ghost hunting instincts up, "Phantom Thieves is a literary term for secretive thieves! Fat chance it is unrelated to Phantom. That term has been around for centuries! Stop assuming everything is about Phantom!"
His parents looked at him. Maddie raised an eye brow. "You know about this stuff?"
Danny huffed, crossed his arms. "Hey, I try to pay attention in class!"
It took a few days until Jazz showed herself. In fact she dragged her parents and brother onto the couch in the living room.
"I have to admit something." Jazz began nervously.
"You got a secret boyfriend?" her father guessed.
Danny, to appear unaware of what is going on, asked, "It isn't Dash, it is?"
Jazz rolled her eyes. "No. Nothing about a boyfriend. If anything I neglected that over the last few weeks. Relationships. I... I nearly made a big error."
"Jazz, what did you do?" her mom asked worriedly.
"I nearly rejected my acceptance to Harvard. I-I considered to go to CAP-"
"Does the Community College of Amity Park even have a psychology program?" Danny wondered. He knew they got a few tracks relating to architecture and a pathetic forensics program, but that's it.
"Oh Jazz!" Maddie voiced.
"I-I nearly did it. But I realized, that would be a mistake. CAP would be counterproductive to my goal." Jazz admitted. "I accepted, so... I'm going to Harvard."
Maddie sighed in relief. "I assume you neglected to find housing near the school?"
Jazz nod. "Yeah. Could you help me fix that?"
"Of course, honey."
Jazz sighed. "Good. But now I need to talk with Danny about something."
With that, she dragged Danny upstairs to his room. Amour sat on her cage and chirped, "Looks like someone had her change of heart." Of course, as Jazz wasn't familiar with the Metaverse, she just heard the typical chirping of a Lovebird. Jazz paid her no mind.
"Jazz?" Danny asked, carefully. "About Harvard... why?"
"I thought I need to stay here, in Amity Park, to protect you. To take care of you. Mom and dad..."
"Aren't good parents?"
"They have their flaws." Amour chirped.
"They have their moments." Jazz stated. "And if... your reveal goes wrong...I figured it would be better if I make a flight path if things go back."
"That's it?"
"And I realized you can take care of yourself." Jazz added, "Hell, you fought the Ghost King and won. Nothing against mom and dad, but... they are way under that guy's league."
Danny nod. "Who knows, maybe they are cool with Phantom once they know..."
Jazz shrugged. "Frankly, I am unsure... on the note of Phantom. Do you have any connections to the Phantom Thieves? Since they popped up, you made yourself sparse a lot more than normally. Not to mention, so far they targeted me and Sam, two people in your direct social circle."
"Oh, she is good!" Amour chirped.
Danny sighed. "No point to argue that. Yes. You know what, I introduce you to the other Phantom Thieves."
"So you are-" her teal eyes grew wide.
"I am their leader in fact." Danny told her. "Wait here, I call the others."
When Danny guided her to the city park to meet the other Phantom Thieves, she shouldn't have been surprised to see Sam and Tucker there. The trio always sticks together. What was surprising, however, was that Danny's bird followed them. She flew freely behind Danny, without flying out.
"Wow, Amour is well trained."
"One way to phrase it." Danny said. "Tuck?"
Tucker just typed something into his PDA before the world changed. Everything morphed red, before Jazz found herself in... the sewer system. At first, that is. Under closer inspection, she noticed the water was red – neigh blood red – while the tunnels were bigger than they should be. Case in point, they fit the motor boat she was on. With her, two other figures were these as well. A dark skined guy in a cyber suit she knew from that game Danny often played – Doomed – a girl in a black trench coat and a guy in a black feather cloak. Then there was a small, bird-like entity. All three wore some sort of mask.
The guy with the cloak told her, in a very familiar voice, "Welcome in the Metaverse. Specifically this section is Mementos, the collective subconsciousness of humanity. Data, send us back."
The world morphed again and they were back in the park. Jazz blinked. "What was that?"
"The Metaverse. It is... a parallel world. Less separate then the Ghost Zone. Think of it as another layer of our world, created by the human minds, interconnected." Danny explained to her.
Someone sighed, "Leave the explaining to me, Danny."
Jazz looked around. "Who was that?" She didn't know the voice.
The voice sighed. Then Amour landed on her. "It is me."
Jazz stared at the bird. "You talk. Like, really talk..."
"Amour is a being of the Metaverse who takes form of a Lovebird. She's kinda... our guide?" Tucker tried to explain.
"Igor send me to guide Danny. I just guide you, because you would hold Back Danny if I leave you clueless." Amour chirped as she fluffed her feathers. "Listen, Jasmine." Amour gave her a run-down of everything, from them handling Sam's palace to her own recent change of heart. "Now that you were in the Metaverse, you can understand me."
Jazz' eyes were still wide, but this time around with excitement. "Magic based on the psyche? Wait, could I use a Persona?"
Danny shrugged. "I guess? You don't have a palace anymore. Only one way to figure it out, really. Just.. don't say our names in the Metaverse."
"We got code names. I'm Midnight, Tuck's Data, Amour is Admirer and Danny's Blackbird." Sam explained, "Albeit we sometimes use Midna and Birdie. Midnight and Blackbird are a bit long."
Jazz nod in excitement. "So, my palace. What was it like?"
"An asylum." Danny said.
"If you haven't already been accepted, I would have said you could use the family drama it was build on for the trauma dump they want in an applicant's motivational essay." Sam joked to Jazz. "Now, do you want to take a shot at Mementos now or do you need to process things first?"