This story contains insane spoilers for Persona 5 Royal right off the bat, so if you haven't finished the game I highly recommend not reading this. The game is incredible and I would hate to ruin the experience for anyone. Also, if you don't want any of the Batman lore spoiled don't read.

Lot of Batman villains will appear OC if you're really into the comics. I'll try to match the game's timing of appearances and story beats, same with Batman but less so.

I would love your feedback.

I don't own Persona 5 Royal or Batman.

A- normal speak

A- thought

The train rushed through the green landscape as Akira looked on in contentment. He has won, the Phantom Thieves have fixed reality twice and have disbanded. He fought against a dark lord of control; a man that had the sheer will to fight for a reality that had all content. But, that man's mind was clouded in that if all was happy, that would cheapen everyone's accomplishments.

Akira made friends, enemies and never gave up on any of his beliefs.

He and his friends were truly free to make their own decisions, make their futures a reality, and confront the past they had been running from for so long.

He could finally take off the mask with Morgana by his side.

Akira thought all of this with a happy grin on his face, Morgana by his side sleeping cutely as the train rushed by. He could finally relax.

The train rumbled on the tracks gaining speed, he made no note of it. Though as the train kept speeding up, and people started to worry about the sudden acceleration, his head escaped from the clouds.

"What's going on?" asked Morgana, begrudgingly waking up to the sounds of worried chatter.

"I don't know." Akira answered.

Could it be? He thought and hoped against hope. As the train gained and gained speed the passengers panicked screaming and running around trying to get off to no avail. They tried to alert the conductor, demanding why he had suddenly lost it.

Noo! Akira was shaking, recognizing the situation he has heard of before.

"WE ARE HEADING TOWARDS A CURVE!" screamed another passenger looking through the glass of the door connecting to the head of the train.

"WHAT?! B-butt we erased the Nav! We did everything right! Akechi is dead! Maruki changed! Shido changed! Who could have POSSIBLY-" Morgana was interrupted by Akira wrapping his arms around the cat trying in vain to protect him from the crash. It was no use. The last thing Akira Kususu remembered was everything going black.

A familiar blue appeared in his vision. He was back in the Velvet Room, he was told he was done, that he was finally able to be free. Akira was tired of being lied to.

"I'm so sorry." said a familiar voice. Lavenza seemed genuinely regretful as she couldn't quite meet the trickster's eye. Igor sitting at his desk remaining eerily silent as he taps at his desk in a annoyed fashion

But Akira was having none of it as he slammed his hands against the cell and screamed, "WHY!"

"I-It seems that there is more to the game than even I anticipated. Another god wishes to challenge you but with a different champion."

"WHAT?!" screamed Akira pounding once more on the barred doors.

"A new god with just as much power, if not more than the last two. He is an all powerful soul not bound to our universe. One whose power is so strong he creates impossible games and watches for his own entertainment," explained Lavenza with a look of disgust upon her face.

"I can't believe this Lavenza, even so why am I still bound behind these bars?" asked Akira, still mentally reeling at the implications of this.

"Well you still have the world arcana and all the power you gain within the year. Also it seems that you can now use the power outside the nav, but regarding this question it seems only a visual problem the god in question had." explained Lavenza rather dejectedly.

A moment passed by the three of them as Lavenza tried to gather herself.

"I am so sorry, trickster," Lavenza said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"It seems we all are prisoners of fate once more." She said wiping a few more tears before steeling herself up. "But, just as before, know that your bonds will guide you, that I and my master will help in whatever way we can."

My bonds… she means

"Yes, your friends are here as well, all meet a similar fate to yours, I hope trickster that your team is up for this challenge. It seems… I have failed to uphold the security of this realm once more. I can not express enough sorrow" expressed Igor swinging his leg looking the same as he always does. He grins, but with an emptiness that speaks volumes.

"Master…" Lavenza looks even more downtrodden at her own master's guilt.

Akira's anger fades as he realizes it's no one's fault except his new unknown enemy.

"I understand, I will continue fighting no matter how long it will take to obtain my freedom and all others. Whatever ruin comes I will fight it." exclaimed Akria

Igor chuckled at his resolve, "Good… this god's game is unlike any I have seen. You and your bonds will have to fight and reflect on the dark fates that come when bonds aren't made. Enemies will appear as twisted mirrors of oneself, and darkness rains down far more than the sun ever shines. You will enter a world of perpetual conflict of justice and evil. Fighting with both sides as they come. Are you ready?"

"Yes," Akira answered.

"Then the contract is sealed. Your friends wait for you on the other side, scared and confused they need direction and leadership. This is a new universe so I use what power I can to give you a place of rest with a sense of familiarity to aid in these trying times. Good luck trickster."

Igor said with finality as Akira felt himself be pulled away towards a new world, with the knowledge that he will have to fight once again for his freedom.

As the night rains down in Gotham, a woman screams for help as three scum of the earth gather to make her another plaything.

"GET AWAY, PLEASE JUST GET AWAY" screams the woman as she gets cornered at a familiar alleyway.

"Come on, we just want to talk," slurred one of the men, reeking more of booze than any bar.

"Why don't you share all those goods with the rest of us" he continued looking up and down her body, especially that pretty purse.

"NO!" she screamed trying to find any way out of the corner that she was in, her mom was right when in Gotham, always bring a gun.

Just as she finished that thought, a mass moved above from the darkness, to the ground in absolute silence unbeknownst to the men. It creeped up with glowing white eyes with intent to kill. It puts its giant hands between two of the men and painfully crushed them together.

KRAACK!

The sound alerts the talkative one in front and as he turns around slowly he realizes he doesn't even need to see what the sound was.

Aw fuck

"IT"S BAT-" the man is punched to the ground and knocked out before he can finish the sentence.

"Are you alright?" Batman asked the woman while tying up the three goons.

"Yes… Thank you," the woman gave a breath of relief. The stories are true after all.

"Call the police, they'll pick them up" he hoarsely said as he shot up into the night never to be seen by her again.

"I'm still getting that gun" she said more to herself than anything and walked home safely.

"Alfred, do you have a location on the Joker?" asked Batman as he swung through the many buildings of the city.

"Yes sir, it seems he and some followers are holding up in the church, though I doubt it is for a confessional," said Alfred with his usual dry wit.

"Thank you, approaching soon" answered Batman as he clicked off his communication.

It's going to be a long night.