Prologue: L'Interrogatoire

Sae leaned back, puzzled by what the prisoner just said, "So the Phantom Thieves only stole the heart of Futaba Sakura…? And Medjed was in turn defeated by her real-world hacking abilities…? Well, this does correlate to the facts as we know them…"

Sae grew quiet, and her next sentence was mostly to herself, though she said it aloud. "If he's telling the truth, then Wakaba Isshiki didn't commit suicide… did a third party target her life with the goal of destroying her research? Wakaba's death was two years ago… that also coincides with when the incidents started occurring… does this other Metaverse user that Madarame and Kaneshiro mentioned… really exist…?"

With a frown, she shook her head before turning her attention back to the captive, "Earlier I mentioned those psychotic breakdown incidents that have alarmed the public. All of a sudden, people will lose consciousness, or become violent… A situation as incomprehensible as that can't be explained away as 'troubled social conditions.' I suspect that these cases are all connected to a larger, man-made plot. The method involved always muddled the explanation, but your story has virtually confirmed its viability. Although, I wouldn't have expected a new criminal to come to light from your testimony…" Sae leaned closer to the prisoner, "What did your group think of this other Metaverse user?"
"You mean the true criminal?" he questioned.

Sae scoffed, "How self-centered of you. The Phantom Thieves tamper with people's hearts without asking consent. How is that different?"

Sighing, Sae then continued to focus on the prisoner. "Well… no matter how you thought of them, there can be no doubting your resolve. Are those incidents because of you or someone else…? Either way, I will get to the bottom of this."

Sae shook her head, and pulled out her briefcase again, "Now let's move on to your next crime." She pulled out a folder, just as she had the last four times and laid it in front of the teenager, "Lila Nikenna Rossi. An Italian student who was studying at Collège Françoise Dupont in Paris, France. This is the first known report of the Phantom Thieves targeting someone outside of Japan. Your testimony regarding this incident will be serious. I'm sure you understand why. Not only is she your first foreign target, but also the youngest target out of all that the Phantom Thieves have changed the heart of. She was only fifteen when you stole her heart. Answer me carefully. Why did you go after her?"

Despite all the grogginess afflicting him, Akira Kurusu managed to faintly grin.

"We owed some good people a favor.

o~o

Okay, so this is an idea that me and a writer named BeeTeeDubya14 on AO3 came up with. It's a Persona 5 crossed over with Miraculous Ladybug. Let me know what you think.