Chapter One: Prologue

Diary Entry Date: 11/19

Everything was set in motion, after weeks of planning we had finally come to this very moment. With practiced ease I maneuvered through the chandeliers. I could feel sweat building up in my gloved palms as I began noticing countless armed men enter through the lobby. Their numbers were massive and I was convinced the entire Tokyo federal investigation bureau was present.

"...Those aren't Shadows." I worded bitterly.

We had since split into smaller groups by now and it wasn't short of a miracle that the others hadn't gone through any major issues on their part. Oracle had been adamant about guiding their leader through the casino's layout and as a fellow Phantom Thief I had no choice but to follow in everyone's example. —I would have to toss aside my emotional attachment and follow through with the plan.

He would have to be left behind.

As much as it pained me to see him go, I knew I had enough faith in his abilities to keep himself alive. He was more than capable of turning the odds in his favor and it was foolish of me to even garner an ounce of doubt. The risk of loosing him to the upcoming threats seemed to bear heavily against my chest. His promises were like a mantra in my head that seemed to urge my movements with each step.

I silently wondered weather or not Joker had a gambling problem. The consensus had to agree.

He really did have the spirit of a gambler.

My earpiece rang to life as the voice of my concerned comrades filled my ears."Where are the twins?" Asked Queen in a panic. I searched for their spiritual signatures and from my location I could tell she and the other thieves were a bit far off from Where Skull and I had marked our escape. I had his knee to worry about and the cognitive ideas based on twins was not helping.

"Didn't you hear? We decided to head on an evening stroll! Care to join?" Skull answered sardonically, his voice was cracking over the earpiece through his labored breath and— I could practically feel the bickering that was about to ensue.

"Piss off Skull! This is so no time for jokes!" Panther hissed venomously. The two spat back and forth as we crawled through a ventilation shaft.

Good grief, these two sound like an old married couple...

"What was that?" Ryuji growled beside me clearly reading my thoughts.

"Skull and Raven be careful! There are a few grunts headed your way! Make like a leaf and get outta' there!"

"Roger Oracle." I was already accustomed to Skull and Panther's bickering, so it was all too easy to tune them out from the rest of the world at this point. "Please, Ignore him for now. For the record we a not too far behind you—I can see you up ahead." I said trying to diffuse some tension.

Not that it really did. The anxiety and panic was so thick you could slice it.

"I agree," added Fox. "Bickering among each other at this time is unnecessary. There are more pressing matters at the moment!"

I wiggled and rolled on to the floor escaping the small prisoned space. Skull followed suit and used my shoulder as support as we crouched behind a large steel laundry bin.—I had tuned out of what Mona and Noir had been saying at the moment and after getting the clear of passage via Oracle's signal we made our way to the group.

"How are you holding up Joker?" I asked after not hearing anything from his end. Not that it wasn't unusual for our quiet leader to prefer listening, but this situation made me even more anxious with every passing second as it lacked a response from his end.

After a few crackles, rushed footsteps and the sound of silence followed. After a few more seconds drew by I was seriously starting to considering the worst had happened.

"Amazing as always," He voiced with disdain lacing his voice. "I might actually need a bit of motivation to lift my spirits." He sounded a bit out of breath and that was to be expected, fighting Sae's shadow had been no easy feat. I furrowed a brow knowing what he meant by those words.

He was always the sly dork I had come to adore.

"Oh, not that again. To think he still has the audacity to still ask for that. " Muttered Mona still a little perturbed about Joker's antics. —Apparently Shinya, Oda had left him craving to be called Senpai once more.

I allowed myself a smile and spoke into the earpiece. What harm would humoring him once more do? Chances were I wouldn't be able to see those gunmetal gray eyes in quite some time. "Very well...Senpai if you buy me a crepe after this whole fiasco is over I'll even call you Nana' for all I care. Anything you want great leader." I negotiated breathlessly. I could feel a warm chuckle rang delightfully in my ears and it took everything I had to not loose myself in it.

Skull's eyes seemed to warm at the gesture, but he jockingly made a gagging noise at the thought of such a girly dessert. Joker wasn't a fan of sweets either so I wasn't really expecting anything to come of it other than a rejection in the form of a quip.

"Deal."

"Hey, thought you hated sweets bro?" Skull asked a little miffed. No way in hell were those two singling him out.

"I don't recall ever saying that." He replied before hearing his heals clack as he climbed a set of steps.

"Lies! I say!" Oracle intervened. "He hates adding sugar to his coffee! He cannot be trusted!"

"That's a misconception. Sakura-San does not take too kindly to added content to his premium roast coffee. It's rather insulting to him." Joker answered earnestly.

"Blergh! His level of Kindness makes me sick...! If he were in in game character he'd be a saint! Why, I add cream and sugar in it all the time—Oh wait! In coming! You've got a High level shadow coming your way! Can you handle it?

"Leave it to me." He announced with confidence radiating from his core.

I could practically feel the walls tremble as what I assumed Joker's Persona throwing hard hitters at whatever the hell he had been fending off. We were quite a distance away but I could almost feel his presence become more potent. We opened a hatch and were both greeted by the remains members of our group.

"Raven! Skull!" Panther exclaimed as she drew me into a hug. When she pulled away she looked at me with a soft teary smile.

I looked around and saw we were one member short apart from our leader.

'Traitor confirmed...' I thought resentfully.

'You know, I never really liked that fucker.' Ryuji hissed mentally.

"No way, these numbers!" Oracle exclaimed.

"Joker...!" I could a heavy weight as the other members audibly gasped and told him to make a break for it. We were all gathered by Oracle in time to see our leader get knocked from the terrace ladder and into a sea of armed officers.

The signal had ended abruptly and we were met with static via video feed. Oracle quietly cut it off and we stayed frozen unable to speak. "He must have crushed the earpiece before stepping on to the terrace ladder. For being as reckless as he is...he's extremely cautious..."

"As expected of someone of his caliber—Let's make our escape now. We can't dwell any longer. Joker is counting on us as well!" Announced Mona as we all nodded and began heading out.

"I agree," Queen added. "We should take the backup route ti the material world. I know it will be a difficult time for all of us...but it will be all for nothing if Joker's sacrifice is in vain." In Queen's hand was the real briefcase. Sae's treasure was secured.

"No doubt that bastard has police waiting at the end of our usual entry point. that backstabbing traitor thinks he's so smart." Growled Skull vengefully.

"Indeed. He hasn't the smallest clue what we all have in store for him. We will pay him back ten-fold for crossing us and attempting to take our comrade from us." Fox along with each of us had our eyes forward. I felt the heat of anger and rage bubbly at the pit of my stomach. The adrenaline that had once faded had shot through my veins.

Just you wait Crow , if you so much as lay a finger on him...you will forever remember the name Ryoko. I swear it.

"We will get our moment to show him everyone—He'll never see it coming."