Chapter 5 - Flight of the Trickster

Best read with It's Going Down Now playing in the background.

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"What's happening with the instruments?!" The co-pilot shouted over the blaring alarms, gripping the yoke with white-knuckled hands.

"I don't know! They're going haywire!" The captain yelled back, his voice tight with fear. He twisted knobs, tapped dials, and did everything he could, but nothing was working.

The turbulence had come out of nowhere, and now the gauges were spinning like crazy, needles jumping from zero to max with no rhyme or reason.

Beep, beep, beep!

"Captain, we're losing altitude!" The co-pilot shouted over the alarms blaring across the panel.

The pilots fought to stabilize the plane. Sweat dripped down their faces as they gripped the controls, desperate to regain control.

"I can see that!" The captain barked back, gripping the controls tighter, his knuckles white with effort. Sweat poured down his face as he tried to maintain composure.

His eyes darted from one instrument to another, each one telling him a different story—all of them bad. The plane jolted again, dipping sharply as another wave of turbulence hit.

Beeeeeeep! Beeeeeeep! The alarms screamed louder, adding to the chaos.

"Control's not responding!" The co-pilot yelled, his voice strained with panic as he gripped the yoke tightly.

The captain gritted his teeth, desperately scanning the instruments. Altitude, airspeed, pitch—everything was out of sync. It was as if the plane had lost its mind.

"Come on, come on!" The captain's fingers danced across the controls, trying everything in the book. His heart raced as the plane shuddered again, violently dropping a few hundred feet in an instant.

"I can't stabilize it!" The pilot growled through gritted teeth. The airplane bucked like a wild animal, the controls completely unresponsive. The turbulence was unlike anything they'd ever seen—freakish, violent, almost supernatural.

Beep-beep-beep! The warning alarms blared incessantly, drowning out any attempt at conversation.

"Mayday! Mayday! We're losing control!" The captain shouted into his headset, though deep down, he knew it was futile. The gauges were haywire, and there was nothing he could do.

"God, no... This can't be it." The captain whispered, but the look in his eyes betrayed his thoughts.

Suddenly, the plane dropped again, sending everyone into momentary freefall. The cabin shook, and the passengers screamed in terror.

Both men exchanged a glance, one filled with silent fear. For a moment, they were just two regular people, caught in a storm far bigger than they could handle.

"We're in God's hands now." The captain muttered under his breath, barely audible above the cacophony.

The co-pilot glanced over, a grim smile forming on his lips. "Well… looks like this is it, huh?"

The captain sighed, his hands shaking slightly as he forced a laugh. "We've had a good run, didn't we?"

The copilot gave a sad smile. "Guess this is goodbye. You were always the better pilot."

"Are you kidding? You're the one who saved our asses back in Rio."

They both laughed, the absurdity of the situation dawning on them. "At least we die together, right?"

In the heat of the moment, they began to spill their guts. "Hey, before we crash... I've gotta confess something. I stole your sandwich last week. It wasn't an accident."

"What? Are you serious? Dude, we're about to die, and that's your confession?!"

"Well, if we're confessing, I... I've been sleeping with your sister."

"YOU WHAT?!"

"I'm sorry, man! I didn't want to die with secrets!"

But just as they started bracing for impact, a miracle happened. The gauges, which had been going berserk, suddenly returned to normal. Altitude, airspeed, fuel levels—everything was back in the green.

"What the—?!" The co-pilot blinked in disbelief, tapping the instruments as if they were malfunctioning. "How the hell—?"

The pilot's mouth hung open in shock. "We're… stable? We're actually stable!"

For a moment, neither of them could move. They just stared at the instruments, unsure whether to believe their eyes.

"We're... we're okay?!"

Then, suddenly, the cockpit erupted into celebration.

"We're alive!" The pilot shouted, laughing hysterically. "Oh, man, we're alive!"

"God, thank you! I take back everything I said earlier!"

"We're alive! We're actually alive!"

They started thanking God, the universe—everything.

But as they celebrated, there was an awkward silence. The weight of their earlier confessions hung in the air.

The copilot coughed awkwardly. "Uh... about the thing..."

"Later..."

As the plane sailed smoothly through the air, they both sat back, letting the adrenaline wear off.

"What the hell happened back there?" the co-pilot asked, still shaking his head. "It's like something… I don't know, something just fixed everything."

Meanwhile, back in the cabin, Hero sat with his head against the seat, reflecting on what had just happened.

What had actually happened?

==≠==

What Are Personas?

It was, in essence, the strength born from the human heart.

A Persona was a manifestation of a user's personality, their true self, brought to life to face the hardships of the world. The very word "persona" came from the Latin word for "mask", signifying the facade people wear to navigate their daily lives.

But a Persona wasn't just a mask—it was a mirror to the soul.

A Persona could evolve, growing stronger as the user came to terms with their true self. And in that evolution, they would take on new forms, become new beings—embodiments of the strength found in self-realization.

But Personas weren't the only manifestation of one's inner thoughts. There were also Shadows, the malevolent side of a person's heart.

Where Personas represented a tamed and trained spirit, Shadows were pure chaos—uncontrolled emotions given form, violent and twisted. They represented the ugliest parts of humanity—greed, lust, fear, hatred.

These malevolent entities festered in the recesses of the mind, gaining strength from denial and repression. When a person refused to face their own darkness, that darkness would eventually consume them. But when a person confronted their Shadow, they could integrate it, tame it, and thus, be reborn with greater strength.

In the mythological depths of the human psyche, these Personas were not just figments of imagination but representations of ancient archetypes. They reside deep within the hearts of humanity, where mythological archetypes dwell.

These figures—gods, demons, heroes—are born from humanity's collective unconscious. They don't exist in Heaven or Hell but in the very depths of human hearts. And it is from there that they grant their influence, allowing people to develop their personalities, to grow, to face challenges.

In some ways, the myths of gods and demons throughout history are rooted in these very Personas, for they represent our desires, fears, and dreams.

Personas shape not only the soul but also the physical body. They give their users mastery over weapons, resilience against fear, and even the power to bend time and space.

In a way, Personas are the avatars of human will, molded by the heart. Since the mind shapes their forms, it's no surprise that they often take the forms of gods or legendary figures.

They are the ultimate expression of a person's true self.

Hero's primary Persona, Arsène, was more than just a phantom thief—he was a symbol of rebellion, an embodiment of trickery and cunning.

Arsène Lupin—The Gentleman Thief

Arsène, Hero's primary Persona always targeted those worse than himself, and in doing so, made himself an anti-hero in the eyes of society.

He was the noble thief, stealing not out of greed but out of a sense of justice, righting wrongs in his own way. He represented defiance, rebellion, and a desire for freedom—a perfect reflection of the Trickster that Hero had become.

Like Lupin, Hero had always walked the line between order and chaos, defying the rules to create his own path.

==≠==

Earlier...

Arsène stood tall, his black wings fanning out behind him. His firery eyes burned with the promise of action, his long, sharp features cast in shadows. His red suit gleamed under the faint cabin lights, and his top hat, tilted ever so slightly, gave him an air of unshakable confidence.

Hero closed his eyes and focused, extending his consciousness to summon Arsène. The connection was instant, but summoning a Persona into the real world was different from inside the Metaverse. It required finesse, control. Hero could feel the resistance at first, but he concentrated, pushing past the initial barrier.

Suddenly, Arsène materialized outside the plane, his massive form gliding through the skies as if he belonged there. The turbulence intensified again, but this time, Hero had control.

Hero focused, guiding him with his mind as Arsène steadied the aircraft, manipulating the air currents with a phantom precision that made Hero's heart race.

'Focus... just like in the metaverse.'

It was rough at first—Hero's control over Arsène was wonky, and the plane wobbled dangerously as he tried to find his rhythm.

Slowly but surely, Arsène's movements smoothed out. He flew through the storm, invisible to the outside world but very much a force within it. He placed his hands beneath the belly of the plane and pushed, using all of his power to steady the aircraft.

The wind howled, lightning flashed, and the rain pounded the metal shell of the plane. But Hero remained focused, his will extending through Arsène.

And then, gradually, the plane stabilized. The storm eased. The turbulence faded into a gentle sway. The rest of the flight crew had no idea what was happening outside, but they felt the calm return, the storm passing.

Inside, the passengers looked around in disbelief as the shaking finally stopped. A ripple of relief swept through the cabin.

...

The entire plane erupted into a massive celebration. Cheers and applause echoed through the cabin as people realized they were safe.

Strangers who moments ago had been screaming and crying were now hugging each other in relief. Parents held their children tight, wiping away tears of gratitude.

Laughter broke out, shaky at first, but then it became contagious—an outpouring of joy and disbelief.

"I can't believe we made it!" Someone shouted.

"We're alive!" Another voice echoed, and the cabin filled with a wave of relieved laughter.

Passengers high-fived each other across the aisles, shared pats on the back, and exchanged stories of the terrifying moments they had just endured.

It felt surreal, like they had just survived the impossible, and now, all that tension needed release. There were people laughing and crying at the same time, overwhelmed by the emotional rollercoaster of nearly plummeting from the sky.

One older woman stood up and began clapping furiously. "To whoever helped us, thank you! Thank you so much!" Her eyes were red with tears, but the smile on her face was one of sheer gratitude.

Somewhere near the front, a man in a business suit started laughing hysterically, his hand over his face as if he couldn't believe what had just happened.

"I thought I was done for!" He said between fits of laughter. "I was planning my entire life in those five minutes!"

"Yeah, I promised my wife I'd stop smoking!" Another man shouted, making everyone around him roar with laughter.

"Guess I'm stuck with you for a little longer." A woman said to her partner, planting a kiss on his cheek while the people around them whooped in approval.

The flight attendants, who had been on the verge of panic themselves, now moved through the aisles with expressions of pure relief.

They helped passengers buckle in, reassured others, and exchanged hugs with anyone who needed comfort. The atmosphere was one of pure elation—like a victory after a hard-fought battle.

Hero stood up, catching his breath. The flight attendants came over to thank him, their eyes filled with gratitude. "You really helped keep everyone calm back there." One of them said. "We couldn't have done it without you."

Maya approached, her face flushed, her eyes sparkling. She smiled shyly. "Thank you… for everything." She whispered, her voice soft. "You saved my life."

Hero flashed a grin, leaning in slightly. "Just doing what I can. Glad to have been of help."

Maya blushed, flustered by his response, but the smile on her face only grew. "I... I don't even know how to thank you."

Hero's eyes twinkled. "Just knowing you're okay is thanks enough."

The plane was still alive with energy after the near disaster, and as Hero sat back, finally catching his breath, the people he had helped began approaching him.

The woman who had clutched her child during the worst of the turbulence stood up and approached him first, her eyes full of gratitude.

"You…" Her voice cracked as she spoke, still holding her child close. "You saved us. I don't know how to thank you."

The child, who had been gripping her teddy bear tightly, peeked up at Hero, her fear now replaced with awe.

"Mister… you're like a superhero." She said, her voice soft and full of admiration.

Hero chuckled softly, kneeling down to her level. "I'm just a guy who didn't want to see anyone get hurt. You were really brave back there."

The little girl's face brightened, and her mother wiped away fresh tears. "Thank you. Really… from the bottom of my heart. I'll never forget this."

Another passenger approached, the man whose belongings Hero had saved mid-flight. His eyes were wide with disbelief. "Man, you were everywhere! I swear, you caught that suitcase like it was nothing!"

He extended his hand, shaking Hero's with a firm grip. "You've got some serious moves. Are you, like, some kind of secret agent or something?"

Hero leaned back casually. "Let's just say... I've picked up a few tricks along the way."

Behind him, the passengers who had witnessed his quick reflexes during the turbulence began nodding in agreement.

"Seriously, you were amazing!" One of them said, gesturing to the overhead bins where Hero had managed to stop flying luggage. "You caught that thing like it was a baseball!"

"Yeah, and when that backpack was about to hit the kid—dude, you moved so fast!" Another added, still in awe.

A few more passengers who had seen him in action started clapping again, sending ripples of gratitude and admiration throughout the cabin. People he hadn't even directly helped were now walking by, thanking him for keeping a level head during the chaos.

Morgana, perched on the seat next to him, looked up in awe. "You can summon Personas now… even here. That's insane!"

Hero glanced down at his hands, still feeling the lingering energy of Arsène. This power… it was something else entirely.

"Yeah." He muttered under his breath, still in awe of the transformation he had undergone.

He glanced out the window, where Arsène was still flying alongside the plane, invisible to everyone except him and those with spiritual awareness.

This new power—it wasn't just a tool. It was a game-changer, one that would alter the course of his journey forever. And for the first time, Hero truly understood the magnitude of what lay ahead.

Morgana still stared at him, his eyes wide in disbelief. "You… you summoned Arsène. In the real world."

Hero nodded, glancing out the window where Arsène had disappeared into the ether. "Looks like things just got a lot more interesting."

But one thing was certain.

He was ready.

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The hierarchy of power in the Marvel Universe is about to chang–

So did I cook?

...

2nd iteration included Mental Shutdown.