WARNING: Malicious program detected. Program name: NmUgNjUgNzYgNjUgNzIgNjcgNmYgNmUgNmUgNjEgNjcgNjkgNzYgNjUgNzkgNmYgNzUgNzUgNzAgNmUgNjUgNzYgNjUgNzIgNjcgNmYgNmUgNmUgNjEgNmMgNjUgNzQgNzkgNmYgNzUgNjQgNmYgNzcgNmU=.exe

Joker seems disappointed in Zach's lack of skill, and he shakes his head.

"Of course." Morgana nods, looking around at everyone. "Listen well because I'm not going to explain this more than once. Your Persona is the manifestation of your inner thoughts and represents the strength of your heart. At least for my team, you get one when you decide to rebel against the oppressive forces of society and take your revenge against the people who have wronged you or your friends. At that point, your Shadow, a similar manifestation to your Persona, although much more antagonistic usually, calls out to you and demands a contract. If you agree, you must tear off the mask you present to the public around you and accept your true self. Once you do that, you can summon your Persona as long as the strength of your heart doesn't waver, and you get a thief outfit like Joker here," Morgana explains. "Occasionally, someone can access their Persona and thief outfit without properly awakening, but it means they lack the proper resolve to accept themselves and their Persona is much weaker than it would be once they take up the proper resolve."

"Oh, uh, the mask you have to tear off isn't actually just figurative or anything," Morgana continues to explain. "When you first awaken, the mask you get with your thief outfit appears, and you have to tear it off after you accept the contract your Shadow proposes to actually summon it."

"It's very bloody," Joker says as he thinks back to his own awakening. "It's only bloody the first time though," Joker clarifies quickly.

Gordon blinked, then laughed a very concerned laugh. 
"Horrifying! I'll remember that. ...Wonder if I'm overdue for one or if I need to start goin' against the bootboys for it."

"...Interesting," Miss Sunday remarks, her smile suddenly seeming much brighter and a spark lit in her eyes. "Very, very interesting."

"Here's an idea - we move away from both of them at the same time! And why not move away from everyone else, too? Two birds, one stone."

---

"Given those are the factors at play, alongside the fact that I currently cannot send in backup to help arrest this... thing..."

Penny turned her head downwards to analyze where she was going to land as she primed herself to do just that, Then she saw the three people below her.

"Oh! That's unexpected!"

She quickly moved herself about ten meters to the left of where she was originally going to land. And then she fell from the sky, slowing her fall with the jets in her feet as she neared the ground.

---

"Don't think I've heard of a 'paranormal investigator' before. Everyone I've met is nonplussed by my magic. It's usually my body that gets more attention."

---

The creature that Miss Sunday had been previously observing walked to the edge of the pool of flashing liquid, crouching low and rotating its arm in the liquid before raising its hand into the air and hitting something that lay just below the surface of the liquid. Hard.

"No, it’s fine." Buttercup assures Kampan that the nickname is okay. "And I feel like it’d be a better idea if we went towards people. Safety in numbers or something like that."

-
"Huh, that’s not the way Labrys friends did it. Maybe it’s different for you guys." Shadow Labrys shrugged.

-

The Demi-Fiend immediately tensed up when Penny just suddenly dropped in front of them.

"I mean, usually we can only summon in the Metaverse, but this definitely isn't a part of it. So if a whole other cognitive based world can exist, I'm sure there are other ways to face yourself. That's really the most important part, so if you could talk to your Shadow like Oracle, maybe something else could happen if you weren't looking for revenge. I mean, Oracle wanted the truth as well, and her Persona isn't a combat one, so..." Morgana shrugs. Given Oracle's Persona and her unusual awakening in context, it's not too hard for him to think if someone was able to talk with their Shadow while not looking for revenge, they might be different.

"Oh, it's fine." Pixie shrugs. "This guy's just a little jumpy."

Pearl seems a bit surprised at the sudden appearance of Penny, but other than that, she seems to take it relatively well, nodding at Pixie's comment about the Demi-Fiend. "Although, with everything else we've seen thus far, you'd think a flying human wouldn't be so surprising...in any case! Would you know where we are, or are you lost like us?"

---

"...er...I suppose that's all well and good, but 'Neo' isn't exactly here, is she?" Kampan points out. "And I don't know 'bout 'Cup, but the most I can do is sneak around and give a good punch, so..."

---

"Do you know any ways to bring out this 'Shadow?"" Miss Sunday asks Morgana, leaning in with a smile.

(I would like to take a Volvidon and a Seltas Queen (Monster Hunter) please)

The Demi-Fiend's eyes widened. "You’re an Android? But you look so....human-like?"

-

"Bloody Mary and uh, I can do lots of things. I guess my signature moves are floating and uh, lasers?" Buttercup shrugged.

"Uh... no..." Morgana leans away from Miss Sunday as she leans closer to him.

(gotcha)

"Atlas tech is amazing, don't you think? Oh! Where are my manners? I'm Penny Polendina!"

---

"That's the one."

Shadow Labrys places herself between Miss Sunday and Morgana. "Oookay! That’s enough questions for now!"

-

"I’m Naoki, but I go by the Demi-Fiend." He pointed at his head, where Pixie was. "That’s Pixie."

"And I'm Pearl," Pearl steps forward, looking Penny over before addressing her again. "Now, did you see anyone else while you were in flight?"

---

"...right..." Kampan nods, clearly having no idea what they're talking about.

---

Miss Sunday seems slightly disappointed at that, leaning back with a sigh. "That's a shame. I suppose I won't be able to get one of those Personas, then; otherwise I would've gotten one long ago."

"It's nice to meet you all!"

Penny turned towards Pearl and her smile faltered briefly.

"THere's a giant machine immediately to your right. Confirmed hostile. Keep away from it."

---

Whatever the creature had hit rose out of the liquid as well, its head literally spinning.

"Noted." Was the Demi-Fiend's response.