Here is chapter two of my Love Victor and Persona 5 crossover fan fiction. Victor and Benji became separated having to get sent into the palace. The Phantom Thieves have to help Victor to fight the shadows.
Love Victor X Persona 5 - The Drag Phantom Thieves
Chapter 2 - Love and Courage
To the Phantom Thieves’ surprise, they ended up in Shade De Porter’s palace in the Metaverse, which resembled a huge fortress, just as Yusuke had described. “Wait! How did Kitagawa-Kun figure out the palace correctly?!” gasped Ann with astonishment. “Was this a lucky guess or something?” cried Ryuji in disbelief. “Who would have thought that Yusuke would hit the nail on the head?” said Morgana, flabbergasted. “Guess my metaphorical analysis must have brought us here, though, hitting nails on the shadow’s heads sounds like a devious technique”, said Yusuke. Nobody knows if Yusuke was missing the point or exaggerating.
Regardless, the Phantom Thieves were under attack by shadows (taking the form of trooper soldiers) that appeared from the fortress as if they were repelling intruders. “Intruders detected! Anyone who is inferior to Shade De Porter or doesn’t follow him will be ravaged!” said the shadows. “Looks like we have a fight in our hands!” said Ren as the Phantom Thieves were ready to fight.
Having experience fighting Shadows, the Phantom Thieves didn’t have too much trouble fighting them with their other selves, known as Personas, helping each other out with their teamwork, although it’s their increasing numbers that give them some trouble. “Men, they keep on coming!” ranted Ryuji just as he took out an Eligor with his Captain Kidd. “I would have thought you would have some stamina to keep up, Ryuji!” teased Morgana. “Hey! It’s not like you are doing any better!” objected Ryuji, with more Shadows coming in. “Well, they certainly don’t want us coming in!” said Makoto, giving them a helping hand.
Just then, their navigator, Futuba, detected something within the fortress as detected by her Persona Necronomicon. “Hold on, guys, I am detecting...a person nearby in this palace!” called Futuba. “A person? But how is that possible?” said Haru with surprise. “I say we should prioritise finding them right away, as they could be in great danger”, said Ren. “I would like to, but those shadows keep on getting in our way!” cried Ryuji.
“How about Ann and I create some art with our Persona’s elements?” suggested Yusuke. Ann immediately figured out Yusuke’s idea and said, “Why yes, leave it to us!” and she and Yusuke combined their Carmen and Goemon’s fire and ice attacks, which created a steam to obstruct their enemies’ vision. That allowed The Phantom Thieves to make their escape. “Nice job! We should come up with a smoke ball!” praised Futuba as they were making their way through the palace.
Meanwhile, Victor was nervously looking around the room, having to be separated from Benji. “Benji? Where are you? Where did you go? Please do not leave me!” cried Victor, desperately looking for Benji in this unknown world. If it couldn’t get any worse, then shadow versions of some of the thugs that chased him and Benji earlier have appeared, surrounding Victor. He looked in horror as they were the last people that he wanted to see.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Faggot except that he’s all alone!” said one of the shadow thugs. “Our master Shade De Porter would be so mad for a Muslim and a Faggot for trespassing on his fortress, who should be executed immediately!” said the other shadow thugs. “Where is Benji!” demanded Victor. “That Faggot of yours? He’s probably already dead at the hands of Shade De Porter! If it makes you any better, then we’ll deal with you by our own hands!” said one of the shadow thugs mockingly. All Victor wanted was a nice vacation with Benji by his side, which is turning into a nightmare.
Thankfully for him, the Phantom Thieves heard all the commotion as they came rushing to the scene. Just as the shadow thugs were about to attack Victor, the Phantom Thieves fired their guns at the shadow thugs to stop them from attacking. Victor was relieved to see some fancy-dressed high school students and a cat coming to his rescue.
The Phantom Thieves took Victor’s defence, with Ren saying, “I suggest you leave him be and deal with us!” “You leave that Kid alone!” cried Ann. “And who are you punks to defend this Faggot?!” demanded one of the shadow thugs. “It’s our job to put anyone who is an outcast to society in their place!” added the other shadow thugs. “We are the Phantom Thieves who strive to make society a better place, including those who are different, free from corrupted jerks like you lot!” said Ryuji. “You all have no right to treat others the way you do just because they are different!” cried Haru. Victor looked at the Phantom Thieves with awe as they were sticking up for him even if they didn’t know each other. “Is that so? Then we’ll have to make you pay for sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong!” said the shadow thug as they transformed into snake-like shadows for them to fight The Phantom Thieves.
The Shadows happened to be tough, including the Yamata-no-Orochi that fires multiple attacks from its heads, including Mabufudyne, Naga, who can either fire electrical attacks, slice with their spears, or block attacks with their shields, Yurlungur, who has powerful electrical-based moves, and Quetzalcoatl, who can blow away its foes with its wind-based moves. This makes it hard for the Phantom Thieves to fight them.
“Ugh, why does it have to be snakes?!” ranted Ryuji with frustration. “It’s a pity since snakes are actually beneficial to keep the number of pests in check,” said Yusuke with sorrow. “I don’t think there’s time for some animal trivia,” said Morgana dryly. “You should try fighting in close range, which could give them a hard time fighting from a distance,” suggested Futuba. “That makes sense, let’s try it,” said Ren, who leapt to dodge one of the Yamata-no-Orochi’s attacks and fired his Arsène’s Dream Needle at close range at the multi-headed snake. However, he was countered by a Naga using its Power Slash.
A Quetzalcoatl fired its Garuduyne towards Ren while he was down, but Morgana, Ryuji, and Ann fired their Personas’ attacks towards the Garuduyne to defend him, only for the Yurlungur to counter their attacks with its Almighty attack Megido. Yusuke, Makoto, and Haru backed them up by combining their Personas’ attacks towards the Quetzalcoatl and Yurlungur, only for the Yamata-no-Orochi to intercept the attacks by firing its One-shot Kill while dealing heavy damage to them. “Ugh, this is getting nowhere at this rate,” cried Haru. “Come on, we've got to keep on standing up to them!” said Makoto, and they continued to fight them.
Victor watches helplessly, wishing that there was something he could do to help them. He thought about Benji, worrying about him. He thought that maybe it was a mistake to go on vacation with him. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to be back in his home, riding on the Ferris Wheel, holding Benji’s hand where he was safe. He then looked at the Phantom Thieves doing their best to fight for his sake despite their struggles. It reminded him that there are people who stand up to prejudice, just like allies should, and how LGBTQ+ communities stand up for their rights, which makes them a strong community in a world of inequality.
That helped give Victor some resolve as he found a rock nearby and tossed it towards the Yamata-no-Orochi, which was about to attack Ren, putting his basketball skills to good use. He aimed the rock perfectly, hitting the Yamata-no-Orochi, much to the surprise of the Phantom Thieves. The Yamata-no-Orochi turned to Victor, saying, “You dare stand up to me?!” “Yes! If you want to pick on someone, then pick me! You can hurt me and say all these things all you like, but you cannot stop me from being who I am and loving Benji!” answered Victor. The Phantom Thieves looked at Victor, impressed with his bravery.
Used this Persona 5 soundtrack for this section
Just then, as if responding to Victor’s determination, a voice was calling to him, saying, “So it looks like you have it in you; that driving force that drives you to fight back against the unfair oppression. If you forge a contract with me, then I can lend you my power that’ll save the one you love.” Victor was crying out in agony as he was feeling a new power that was about to emerge from his other self, yet he accepted that power, saying, “...Yes! Come to me!” The voice responded to him, saying, “Very well. I am thou...Thou art I. No more, you will be suppressed by the inequality in the world. Together, we will rise above against prejudice!” and much to the surprise of everyone, Victor has gained a new outfit, including a masquerade and a stylish black, gothic dress, giving him the appearance of a drag performer as he awakened his very own Persona which also resembles a drag performer known as Seregil.
“It’s a Persona!” exclaimed Morgana with surprise. “Seregil! Let us march for our rights with a slam dunk!” said Victor, and his Seregil summoned a flashy projectile that was as bright as the sun, which blinded the shadows. “Alright! Now’s our chance!” cheered Ann as the Phantom Thieves used this chance to land their Personas’ attacks on the shadows. “Whoa! We'd better need sunglasses!” said Futaba jokingly yet with fascination.
Victor was amazed by his Persona’s powers. It reminded him of what the colour yellow means on the Pride flag. The Yamata-no-Orochi fired their Mabufudyne, but Victor’s Seregil blocked it with the Sun-like barrier, which also blinded the Naga so it couldn’t defend against the attacks. “Now’s your chance!” called Victor. “Thanks! We owe you one!” called Ryuji as he and the others fired their Personas’ attacks at the two snake-like shadows.
Seregil can also summon a huge sphere like the burning sun to strike Quetzalcoatl. “They gotta apply some sun cream after this,” said Makoto jokingly, as she and the others followed up the attack. “I will use Seregil to brighten up us marginalised communities!” said Victor. Seregil fired sun-ray-like laser beams toward the Yurlungur’s Mazioga, which intercepted. “And we allies shall help your communities to shine!” said Haru. She and the other Phantom Thieves used this chance to attack Quetzalcoatl.
The shadows were still standing. Yet Victor continued to help the Phantom Thieves, using Seregil to summon sunlight. This sunlight restored their health and gave them a temporary power-up. “Thanks, it’s good to get some vitamin D!” said Ren. He became faster, and Arsène’s attacks grew stronger. He fired his Dream Needle, taking out the Yamata-no-Orochi and Yurlungur.“Although too much sun isn’t good for us," said Morgana jokingly. Still, he made use of it, with Zorro unleashing his Magaru. The attack turned into a heavy gale at the Naga and Yurlungur, blowing them toward the wall.
The shadows fought back, but the Phantom Thieves, aided by Victor's newly awakened Persona, quickly gained the upper hand. “Now for an all-out attack!” cheered Futaba. “You want in on this?” asked Ren. “Sure,” Victor replied, keen but unsure. “Just follow our lead,” Ryuji encouraged. Victor watched and mimicked the Thieves as they attacked, learning fast. After the final blow, Victor shouted, “I make my own choices!”
The defeated shadows reverted to shadow thugs who looked depleted. “It’s not my fault that I don’t like faggots”, whined one of the male shadow thugs. “Yeah, Shade De Porter made us this way. He was the one who taught us that anyone who is different from us is inferior and must be put in their place,” whinged another shadow thug. “I can’t help myself if I prefer manly men, traditional girls, cisgender and white people or if I find bisexual people weird. It’s my opinion,” said the female thug wallowing with self-pity. “If you haven’t taken a step in my country or hidden who you are, then I wouldn’t have a problem”, ranted the other shadow thug.
Victor and the Phantom Thieves figured that Shade De Porter must have groomed them this way, but they weren’t fooled by their victim-blaming. “I have the right to be who I am and to love who I love, and none of you has the right to stop me!” said Victor. “As if any of this is an excuse to make other people feel bad about what they’re born with!” said Ann. “Your bigotry makes you lower than those snakes”, said Yusuke sternly. “We live in a world that is beautiful with diversity, and those who don’t accept others for their differences are in the wrong side of history and society unless you are willing to change your ways!” said Ren. With no energy, the shadow thugs moaned in defeat and disappeared.
Victor turned to The Phantom Thieves “I thank you all for standing up to me.” “It’s you that we should be thanking for having the courage to turn this around, which awakened your Persona”, said Ren. “That shows that LGBTQ+ people are strong, which makes them beautiful”, said Haru. “Yeah, consider us Phantom Thieves your allies”, said Futaba. Victor was grateful to hear that. They then introduced themselves with the Phantom Thieves explaining that they’re a group of Persona users who stand up against corrupted adults to make a better society by stealing the hearts targets to get them to change and Victor telling them that he got separated from his boyfriend Benji while they were taking a vacation in Japan and their confrontation with Shade De Porter and his thugs.
“That must have been scary. We've got to make everywhere safe for those who are different,” said Futaba with sympathy. “We won’t rest until we take Shade De Porter’s heart, who brainwashed people to hate LGBTQ+ and other minority people with his corrupted articles, and so that no one else will face the same discrimination as you or his son”, said Ren. “Yeah, I am still worried about Benji. I can’t bear the thought that he could be in great danger,” said Victor with concern. “We’ll help you find him. I promise that you both will be reunited,” said Makoto, comforting him.
Victor also said that he sympathises with the Phantom Thieves, having to face opposition against the corrupted adults, which reminded him of how LGBTQ+ and other minority groups face discrimination. “I guess it shows that we have to stand up for ourselves and others to make a world a better place for those who are seen as outcasts”, said Victor. “Yeah, I get how not everyone sees you as equals. I don’t want to be preachy, but Japan has yet to legalise same sex marriage, so we need to do better with progression and equality,” said Ryuji. “For one, you have a point on that”, said Morgana, agreeing with him.
“So this Persona I’ve used to fight, what is it?” asked Victor. “It’s like your other self that we use to fight shadows throughout the Metaverse”, answered Morgana. “That Persona and outfit of yours; it reminds me of drag performers, which are like beautiful yet powerful art that shows your other self, just like a Persona, actually”, said Yusuke, which flatters Victor. “If you come with us, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about becoming a Phantom Thief while we help to find Benji and to find Shade De Porter’s treasure in order for us to take his corrupted heart”, said Ren. Victor readily obliged.
“But first, we need to give you a code name, which is what we use to keep ourselves hidden”, said Futaba as the Phantom Thieves shared their code names. Ren’s is Joker, Morgana’s is Mona, Ryuji’s is Skull, Ann’s is Panther, Yusuke’s is Fox, Makoto’s is Queen, Futaba’s is Oracle, and Haru’s is Noir. “Now that’s like Drag performers having their stage names”, said Victor, who sounded thrilled. “You could say that!” said Ann, encouraging him. Victor came up with Striker as he happened to play basketball.
“I’ll be slam dunking those shadows!” said Victor. “We’ll assist you in reuniting with Benji”, said Ren. “Passing on our teamwork to fight for equality!” said Haru. Victor smiled as they humoured him. Once they were done with their basketball puns, they made their way throughout Shade De Porter’s palace to find Benji.
To be continued
Mega McBustedeon
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