Persona 5 x persona 4

prologue

November 17th

2:32 am.

Another all-nighter seemed to be Naoto's fate. Not that the detective minded, her partner had asked for a break and he damn well deserved one. Their last case together nearly got him stabbed by an enraged stalker who had been found out. Quick action and his superior size against the suspect were his saving graces, but the whole ordeal was a sobering reminder of the dangers of the job. Being a detective isn't always an easy dream job. Even still, both of them were drawn to it like a moth to the flame. Naoto blamed her lineage for this obsession with the truth; a convenient excuse, but a nice excuse to be honest. Yu on the other hand. He said it was just something he was called to do even though Naoto had pushed him in that particular direction quite hard.

Naoto leaned back in her computer chair, listening to it squeak in protest to the action. The room was dark but not silent. Distant snoring from a room down the hall had long ago become white noise. Now conversely as she pulled away from her report; the noise faded back into acknowledgment. It was a gentle sound and one she was by far used to at this point. The gentle sound called to her like a siren's song called to a sailor. The young detective could feel her body start to become heavier as she just listened. Maybe if she just closed her eyes for a few minutes...

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Naoto was instantly jolted awake at the sound. It took her mind a quick second to click over and realize what was happening. Her phone that sat next to her laptop was the object making the offending wake up noise. Reaching over she picked it up, making a note of the number across the screen. With a quick click, she answered it and put up to her ear, praying that the noise had only woken her up.

"Shirogane," Her voice instantly locking into a more masculine tone.

"Shirogane-san, I have something I need you to look into for me," An all too familiar voice echoed in her ear.

"If it's you, then am I to assume this isn't a normal case?" The detective reasoned.

A small curt laugh on the other end. "Of course, if you and your partner aren't too busy. I think I have something that is right up your alley. Sending you an e-mail now. Did I wake you? I'm in a completely different time zone from you." The head of the Kirijo group Mitsuru Kirijo.

"Don't worry about it, I'm actually at my computer right now. Give me a minute." Naoto explained before looking down at the computer's clock.

3:15 am.

Naoto grimaced at the time before checking her e-mail. A new email sat in her inbox, with a quick click of the mouse she opened it. A picture instantly popped up on her screen. A black top-hatted Caricature with a masquerade mask and one flaming eye instantly caught Naoto's attention. As she blinked in the dark to allow her eyes to focus against the sudden bright red image the words 'Take your heart' became clear as day.

"What's this?" Naoto asked the voice on the other end of the line.

"They are calling themselves the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. As of now, they appear to be rumors on the internet. Knowing what we both know; they may be linked to that other world," The voice informed Naoto in a calm tone.

"You want me to confirm I take it? Also normal compensation?" Naoto asked.

"Yes, normal compensation. However, I can offer you a bonus for the confirmation plus any information you can collect. More than enough to get you out of that dingy office building," There was slight mirth to the voice as if she had been keeping tabs on the two detectives. Naoto wouldn't put it past the leader of the Shadow Operatives.

Naoto took a deep breath as she started to think. They had two normal cases open, it would be easy to send them to another agency. It might hurt their reputation a bit but this particular client had paid very handsomely before for a previous assignment. Also going after petty Thieves and stalkers was getting monotonous and irksome. She could feel something inside her stir as she looked at the emblazoned logo that engulfed the laptop screen. This promised to be real work; something to hone her skills on. There was absolutely no way she could say no.

"I'm on it," Naoto smirked silently to herself.

"Good, I have you both set up to meet with a Sae Niijima in two days at the Tokyo District Special Investigation Department. I'll be sending your travel arrangement later today. Good Luck Shirogane-san, keep me informed on what you find." Mitsuru Kirijo, the head of the Kirijo Group, stated as the phone cut off.

Naoto put down her phone and stretched her achy muscles. Transferring the cases could wait until later in the morning, after a few more hours of sleep. Naoto needed fresh eyes if she was going to get that bonus. Shutting down her computer, Naoto grabbed her phone one last time and quickly typed out a text.

Naoto: Yu, we got a case from the Kirijo Group. Might involve the other world. You in?

Naoto reached out and turned off the lamp over her desk before pushing in her computer chair. The distant sound of snoring beckoning her even more now. She barely makes a few steps beyond the threshold of her office before her phone hummed in vibration. That was fast, but it could only mean one thing. Still, it might have been a blessing in disguise.

Yu: Yes, I'll let the others know. I imagine you can tell Kanji. Junes?

The young detective couldn't help but smile. She knew the others in the investigation team would want to know, but Naoto at least wanted to confirm a few things before telling everyone. Yu being as straight forward as ever was not on the same page. It wasn't a bad thing, as the thoughts of getting the investigation team back together were something that warmed her heart. Hopefully, no one would be too upset if this all amounted to nothing.

Naoto: Junes it is.