Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon: M1N470

Chapter 1: Metal Soul, Metal Body.

"Mom? ...Dad?" A little blue haired child had just crawled from the remains of his parents' car. He winced in pain, he had minor scratches, but he wasn't harmed more than that. Why did it turn out like this? They were just heading back home from the movies that night. The boy had insisted on going at the one across the bridge to see the movie at the "special' movie theatre because the screens were bigger. The other one was small and cramped in comparison. Overall, the movie theatre they were going to was more comfortable. They had all been having a good time, laughing and smiling when all of a sudden…

"A-are you there? Mommy? Daddy?" The boy searched. He looked down, left, right and up. He looked in every direction he could think before he noticed something strange. Everything was green. The water on either side of the bridge was red, like blood. This wasn't natural. This was not how the world was supposed to be. The boy knew that much for certain. It was like the scary movie the boy had insisted on seeing. He shuddered. It was very scary, that movie. But why was everything green? The boy started panicking. If things started turning out like the movie, then his mom and dad were…

"Mommy?! Daddy?!" The boy was frightened. He looked back towards the car, his body shaking in fear. He did not like that movie! He was scared! He only went because all his friends at school were talking about it and he didn't want be left out. That wasn't a bad thing, right?! To want to be able to finally talk to people about the same subject and grow closer, develop stronger bonds, wasn't a bad thing, right?! Then what did he do to deserve this? Why was he always left alone? He promised he would be a good boy forever if he found his parents… his parents… they were alright! They were always alright! They were the shining beacons of hope and the pillars of support in his life. Nothing like this could harm them! Then his eyes found a scene that would be carved into his memory for the rest of his life.

"Mommy. Daddy. You're all messed up, but you're all right, just like always? Like when Daddy would play dead when Mommy would tell him to take out the trash? It's like that, right?" The boy said in a quivering voice, tears pooling at the corners of his voice as he stumbled forward with a strained smile on his face. He had found his parents. Their corpses were crushed against the car. They had crashed into the side of the bridge while simultaneously being hit by another car. Blood covered the car. Blood covered the seats. Blood covered his parents. Dead. His mom's beautiful face was now marred. His dad's strong body crushed. They were dead… Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?! Why?! Why! Why! Why! Why him…?

"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" The boy's loud cry shook the green night sky as all his sadness drained away, taking with it all his emotion and expression. His face turned from an expression of horror, pain, and sadness to that stoic observation. He stood up and stared at the bodies of his parents emotionlessly. Their deaths were now the past. He would not hurt anymore. Without feeling, their bodies couldn't hurt him anymore. The boy felt broken inside. Not like a person. Like a machine that was damaged. A cold, unfeeling machine. His emotions died that night, that instant he saw his parents were dead. His want for bonds killed his parents. He didn't need them. He didn't need friends, family or anything close to him. It would hurt again if he got too close.

Thou art I… and I am thou…

Suddenly, he felt… older. Like he'd seen something he wasn't supposed to see yet. Death. It wouldn't affect him anymore. He wouldn't let it. Death was inevitable. It took away his parents. It would one day claim him. He felt slightly amused. He was still connected to Mommy and Daddy through the end that comes with the passing of time. He knew a child shouldn't be thinking these grave thoughts, but he felt he wasn't a child anymore. After stripping himself of his emotions, he was barely human. His parents were all he had left except some vague second cousins out in the country. His sister was claimed by death as well. At least that was what he'd been told. Everyone around him died, as if death was walking hand in hand with him. He didn't like this. At this time, the boy finally remembered the name of the movie he saw. He stared up at the sky, his emotionless gaze piercing through the heavens, cursing whatever entity caused this world to turn a horrid green, the last bit of emotion leaving him before the machine took over again.

From the sea of thy soul I cometh…

"Journey into Tartarus", the boy whispered the name of the movie, idly pondering what the title meant. It had been about action, romance, and horror. Doubt and sacrifice were the themes. It had no happy ending. The main character had cursed the beings, the gods, that had forsaken him, save the one being that helped him, and they tore him apart because he wished to stay true to his commitments. The boy felt a bit of kinship with the hero. They were similar. The boy felt as if a happy ending was impossible.

I am…

Then a monster appeared.

Orpheus… Master of Strings…

Death was incomplete. Death was incomplete, yet this being still managed to harm it, although it was naught but a scratch. Death had been fighting the beings sent to annihilate it, an impossible feat, and one was still alive, another impossible feat. Alive. This being, no, this girl, was alive. From this girl, Death could sense the spark of life necessary for her to use her power. And use her power she did, summoning a large mechanical paladin, much like the robotic girl herself, to rush towards Death. Death deftly moved out of the way of the girl's attack before she rained machine gun fire down upon it. The bullets passed through Death. The steel maiden stood before Death, eyes emotionless, yet somehow defiant. The girl, however obscure or small it was, had a reason to fight Death. She had more power than all the humans in the city combined. She was the last obstacle Death had to face. Just one step away from the coming of NYX.

She summoned her being. It charged forward, tackling Death into the side of a building. Death pulled itself out as the being faded away. It charged and swiped at her with its sword, the only weapon it had besides magic. The girl raised her arm to block the blow. A loud boom shook the air as metal met metal. The girl raised her other arm and fired at Death's face, injuring it in its only place vulnerable to bullets. Death reeled back, screeching loudly as it grasped its face. The screech itself harmed the girl, knocking her back several feet. Death brought forth a light into its hand before firing it, a Megidola. The girl sidestepped it, the blast itself continuing onward before splitting into several smaller lights that all locked on to the girl. She raced towards Death and leapt over it, deflecting its sword strike as she did so, intent on using it as a shield for its own Megidola. Quite a few hit Death, but one managed to circle around and hit the female. She was heavily damaged just by that one hit. She may have underestimated her opponent. Jumping back to gain distance between herself and Death, the girl summoned her metal protector again, who rushed Death and managed to grab it again before slamming it into a ground several meters away. The girl sprinted towards Death.

Death raised its sword and slashed at the girl horizontally. She glowed with energy as her guardian appeared once more before jumping over the swing and firing again at Death's visage. Death continued its sword swing and managed to raise it to block the bullets. The girl moved at impossible speeds and appeared behind Death, her left arm now in the shape of a large tube. She fired a missile at Death who was knocked back. She pursued.

They were on a bridge now. As the metal girl prepared to attack and Death started to charge its Megidola, a single cry shook the night air.

"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Death used this opportunity to fire another Megidola at the girl, who was momentarily distracted by the cry. It hit her full on and blasted her into a car on the bridge. Sparks were shooting out of her arms and legs as she emerged.

"Defeat of enemy not possible. Emergency measures required. Orgia Mode: Activate." The girl spoke in monotone. Her speed increased exponentially and she ran towards Death summoning her protector who then came at Death with far more power than normal, but it was not enough. The girl saw this and a hint of what appeared to be regret worked its way into her expression. She then dashed towards the sound of the voice from earlier, intent on arriving before she overheated. Death followed suit, intent on defeating her and then being reunited with its other pieces before summoning NYX.

A boy stood alone, his lips moving and producing nothing more than a whisper. The corpses of two older humans were behind him, dead and wrapped in wreckage. The boy stared at the sky, seemingly even more emotionless than the girl that dared to battle Death itself. Death reached the boy first. The boy just looked at the face of Death apathetically. He looked cold, lifeless. He looked Lost. But he was not, for he was still breathing, still Found.

The girl's right arm opened up, revealing a strange looking gun. She had arrived second. Death turned to face her. The boy looked on, a glazed look in his eyes. The mechanical maiden prepped her containment device. It was the only one of its kind. A device meant to seal Death by bonding it to the only thing powerful enough to contain it for long periods of time. Life. The Kirijo Group had developed it in case of an incident with the Shadow they were experimenting on went amok. They knew it would most likely not be enough, but it was worth a try. Death was but a fraction of the original Shadow now and thus could be sealed in its weakened state. This was a onetime shot and would potentially ruin the life of the person bonded to the Shadow or even kill them. It was a last resort. The girl, Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon: Aigis, fired a white beam at the two, the beaming anchoring to Death as it shot toward the boy.

Death did not want to be bonded to the boy who stared at Death so. Those lifeless eyes. It was the first time Death ever wanted something other than to fulfill its purpose and summon NYX. It frightened and excited Death. It could almost feel NYX, its mother, encouraging it to do something. It shifted the beam attached to its chest by twisting its entire body to face the girl who fought it. If Death were to be bound to anybody, it would be a strong vessel that would serve NYX well. Death grasped the beam and put all its otherworldly powers into shifting the final destination of the beam. The beam shot forward at the girl. Death had triumphed, just like always. The beam attached to the small spark of life in Aigis, but it was not enough. Death, ever determined to triumph, then decided to take desperate measures. Death began to suck the life out of the boy and replace it with the void in the girl's small soul. On the reverse, it placed more life in the girl, a task only possible by Death. The girl began to look more human as machine turned to flesh and her size shrunk to match that of the boy's. She only looked mildly surprised, but took it with a determined expression, the first true expression Death had seen on her. She would shoulder the burden, for it was the best outcome.

Then she noticed the boy. His hair was being drained of its color, turning pure white. His eyes lost their pigmentation, turning a solid red, indicating his eyes no longer had blood moving to them. They were no longer flesh, but metal. A small gasp escaped the boy as his skin began to turn to metal at the same rate the girl's metal turned to skin. His body forcibly matured, his height lengthening to match and surpass what the girl's once was. He grasped his head in pain as his mouth opened in a silent scream. Steel slowly covered his quickly disappearing flesh.

THUMP

His arms turned to steel.

THUMP

His legs became steel.

THUMP

His torso was steel.

THUMP

His head appeared untouched, but it was now the face of a teenage boy. Metal was beneath the skin, a silent reminder of the fact that he was no longer human.

White gloves covered metal hands. They met white sleeves and covered the metal joints. The boy had lost his toes, they were now unnecessary. His legs were practically covered in long, white boots and were now cylindrical at the top, becoming angled at the bottom and jutting out, imitating a foot. White pants met boots and covered the metal joints. His torso was now a dark green color and had the appearance of the torso of a fit man with a lean build, a man the boy no doubt would have become, and was metal as well. He wore a long, red scarf around his neck that obscured his mouth. On his back was a small golden lyre. The now metallic boy turned towards Aigis and Death, a hollow look in his eyes before he collapsed, a loud clank indicating he was now fully machine.

Aigis now had the appearance of a little blond girl in a white dress with a large red ribbon around her neck and a black hairband restraining her hair. Her blue eyes closed as she collapsed as the last of Death was sucked into her. In her last moment of consciousness, Aigis felt a singular, true, unrestrained emotion.

Worry.

Then the world turned to darkness.

The Kirijo Group arrived on the scene shocked. Aigis was now human and a new Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon had appeared, though Death was nowhere to be found. Everyone there was sworn to secrecy, of course. Aigis had no memories and was a blank slate, but she learned the basics a child her age should know at a remarkable rate, as if she were still machine. The new Aigis was to be sent to foster homes around the country and would return to the place in 10 years time to check the long term effects. She could very well revert at any time. When dealing with Shadows, the effects were unpredictable. That was something the Kirijo Group knew for certain.

The new A.S.W., short for Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon, was to be placed in a lab and analyzed. He was codenamed M1N470 due to the engraving on the left side of his chest, right where his heart should have been. Takeharu Kirijo had wanted special treatment for the machine. This machine was the only clue they had as to how Aigis gained life and it was the last ASW they had available. The others were either incomplete, destroyed, or sealed away for various reasons. The golden lyre on his back was extraordinary, though. The scientists discovered that it could imitate any weapon it touched in terms of strength, shape, function, and any other special effects the original weapon had. The only difference there would be was the golden color. Curiously, it seemed to remain despite all the changes the instrument went through. The scientists were baffled. Not to mention the fact that they could not activate the ASW for any diagnostics requiring him to be powered on. They knew not was his power source was. He had no openings for gas or electrical plugs to be inserted. He was like a statue.

"I am Philemon, a dweller in the rift between consciousness and unconsciousness of all souls... I have been watching over you as I have watched all the others, Minato Arisato. Things, regrettably, did not turn out how they were supposed to, but perhaps that is for the better." A man with a butterfly mask was the vision that greeted Minato's eyed as he opened them. His brown ponytail was the only thing that convinced Minato a human face was under the mask. Everything around the two was white. Minato, remembering what just happened, looked at his body. It was now cold, hard, and unfeeling. It was the personification of his emotions he felt at the time of his parents' death. His parents…

"You see that you cannot kill off your emotions so easily. Just as you cannot stop yourself from creating bonds. For most, it is human nature. For you, it is your destiny. Or was. I'm not supposed to directly interfere with humans, but, you see, it wasn't you humans that messed up. Something... else selfishly intervened in your destiny. The result is what you see now. Your Persona saved you from Death by materializing itself as your new body. It was nothing short of a miracle that you survived. Yes, you have lost your old body, but your life's essence still exists. You are a Wild Card, and that is part of your life's essence. A Wild Card can wield multiple Personae and strengthens them through bonds, or Social Links, with others. Oh, I bet you're wondering what a Persona is, right?" There was a smile in the Philemon's voice. Minato nodded. He had no clue what happened. He figured it would be best to find out what happened as soon as possible.

"A Persona is the mask you use to endure the many hardships of life. That would be the easiest explanation. But a few possess more potential for the power of Persona than others. These few are Wild Cards. Imagine yourself as the number zero, empty but filled with infinite possibilities. You possess the most potential out of any Persona user so far. This potential allows you to summon Personae of many more kinds than any other. However, your destiny has been shifted and your body and soul are not in sync now. This may cause problems, yet it may prove advantageous to you. Only time will tell. You are wondering why I am telling you this, correct? Well, let's just say that I believe humans such as you need guidance. I am that guide. This problem, one not caused by men, is something I can help solve. Now take this." Philemon tossed a pen to Minato. He caught it. The pen glowed a warm blue. Just touching it filled him with a strange sort of... warmth. It felt so... alien, but Minato welcomed it. Minato forcibly tore his attention away from the pen and looked back towards Philemon, who was now holding a contract.

"Now, sign here. It merely says that you'll accept responsibility for your actions. It was not your actions that caused your parents' death, nor your transformation. However, you will be forced to make choices in the future. Hard choices. Perhaps even harder due to your new destiny. You will accept responsibility for them anyway, correct?" Minato nodded. He then took three steps forward and begun to sign his name. Minato Arisato. He had forgotten about his surname until now, but it was what proved he still had bonds with his family. He had to keep it.

"Good. Now, here's a key to the room of a few friends of mine. Tell them Philemon sent you. They'll be sure to give you the VIP Treatment. As for how to summon your Persona, it may prove difficult seeing as how you and your Persona have bonded on such a level. I believe that, in order to change Personae, you would have to have your body replaced by the body of said new Persona. Currently you have only Orpheus." Minato felt that the word was familiar, but he could not place it. It felt like an old friend. Philemon smirked. "Your destiny is an interesting one. The man who is one with Personae… Oh and by the way, I made sure to preserve your memory. Ordinarily you would have lost it. You'll need it. Its one of the few things keeping you human." Philemon's cheery voice echoed as he vanished into the emptiness surrounding the two. Minato shook his head. He didn't quite understand what most of the man said. Despite his appearance, he was still a young boy on the inside. It all felt way over his head.

M1N470 woke up. Or powered on. To be honest, he wasn't sure if he was a man or a machine anymore. He knew he had a soul though. He had that much going for him. He looked around him. The first thing he noticed was that there was an odd display in his vision. A top bar showing what direction he was facing and a map in the corner of his vision. He also noticed a picture with his new face off to the side, two full bars beside it. He knew not what the bars meant. He willed them away and they disappeared. Cool trick. He was in what appeared to be a laboratory. There were several desks with papers blanketing them and several more filled with tools of all sorts. M1N470 looked down. M1N470 was standing up on a pedestal in the center of the room. It was circular, the room was. There were four exits, one in each cardinal direction, and the walls were lined with books of all sorts. He stepped off the pedestal and started towards one of the exits.

A loud ring sounded in the room as armed security officers rushed in. M1N470 looked at them. Some shirked back in fear. Others were awed. The metal man had been immobile for months! His red eyes glowed as he swept his vision across the room. They security was informed of the power an A.S.W. had, but this one was projected to have far more than any of the others. He was the rumored 8th Generation A.S.W. He was a being that surpassed even the 7th generation Aigis in terms of pure potential alone. Guns would hardly work on him if he decided to attack.

A man in a suit with black hair and an eye-patch over his right eye came in, his young daughter followed him. She had curly pigtails, a red ribbon with a green gem, a white fluffy blouse, a red skirt, white stockings, and brown shoes. The sea of security guards parted as the two walked towards the metal man. They approached the pedestal as M1N470 regarded them with a curious gaze. 'Who are they?' He thought, noting how important they seemed to be.

"I see you've woken up. Tell me what your model is and who your creators are. I would also like a detailed report on the events of Moonlight Bridge." The man's voice was direct and demanding. It oozed authority. M1N470 would have felt scared by this man if he were still… human. But he was not. There was nothing this man could do to hurt M1N470. M1N470 felt no pain. M1N470 felt nothing. Save for the sadness of a lonely child, but even that would pass.

"My… creators… are dead." M1N470's voice was a whisper. There was a melancholic tone in his voice. To hear the machine speak, and with even the slightest emotion, shocked everyone in to silence. Sadness was not something an A.S.W. could grasp. A smile formed on Takeharu's lips. Through this disaster came a miracle. He felt the power this A.S.W. exuded, a result of having the Potential, but not the Persona. M1N470 would make a good vanguard in future missions and a bodyguard for his daughter. But that was in terms of power. M1N470 had to be loyal to the Kirijo Group. And Takeharu knew just the plan to put into play for the machine that possessed emotion, no matter how little it was.

"Would you like revenge for the deaths of your creators?" The way M1N470'S eyes seemed to glow an ever brighter red answered his question affirmatively. Given the location, it was the Shadows that caused the death of the creators. However, the machine could not fight them alone. A.S.W. forces had gone down that route in the path and ultimately failed. M1N470 would have to wait until at least Takeharu's daughter, Mitsuru, had matured enough to fully use her power in combat situations. In the meantime, they would continue looking for other Persona-users in order to create a combat squad of sorts. The new tower that appeared over their previous lab during the Dark Hour was too ominous, too filled with Shadows for them to venture inside. They barely escaped when it first formed.

"My… creators… died in a car crash when the world… turned green. Who would I fight to avenge them?" The glow seemed to dim from M1N470'S eyes as he tilted his head in a questioning expression. Takeharu thought he heard his daughter say something, something like "Kawaii", but when he looked towards her she started coughing. How very peculiar.

Takeharu didn't know how to answer the robotic boy. For once, he was stumped. How would he convince the boy to join them? Then he came up with a new plan.

"How about you stop many more people from dying because of the green world? Join us. We're the Kirijo Group. I am Takeharu Kirijo and this is my daughter,Mitsuru Kirijo. With your power, you could save lives. You could be a hero." Takeharu knew this would work after the first question. The boy didn't want more death. However, at the word hero, he seemed to wince, as if he felt being a hero would be a bad thing. Internally, Takeharu chuckled. M1N470 was a noble one.

M1N470 nodded. He would take this opportunity. He was not as empty as he thought any longer. He now had purpose. He would be a hero, just like the protagonist of the movie was, but this time, there would be a happy ending. He would make sure of it. Everyone would know the joy he could no longer feel.

"I'll help. My name is… Minato."

CRASH!

A/N: Okay, I started playing P3P and then I had an idea. The boom! Story. Some Social Links will be different and Minato will be present in SEES before Yukari and will be there when Shinji and Akihiko first join. So first impressions. Good? Bad? Amazing and we love you KingofZeroX-sama? (Kidding) Ahem... now...

Edit: Hey, it's future me. Just wanted to thank Hoshiro Kamui 217 for the awesome cover art she drew. BOW BEFORE HER ARTISTIC MIGHT!

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