Mekanee, looking to steal a Thief's crown! (Incompetence)

The ladies of the Phantom Thieves had signed up for recon; instead, it seemed they'd have to jump right into infiltration. The path out of the Metaverse had closed as soon as the four had collected themselves. Still, Futaba had been quick to identify the massive tower they'd found themselves facing as one of the typical dungeons, and not one with any significant Shadow presence. Furthermore, while she couldn't be sure it was a Treasure without Mona's helpful nose, there was definitely some kind of unusual large energy reading below the structure. For now, it seemed the quickest way out would be to investigate that reading.

When she'd heard she'd be leading an infiltration team, Makoto had readied herself for a fight. Truth be told, she'd looking forward to taking out some of the stress of her daily life on an enemy. Still, she could hardly complain about the smooth sailing her team of three had made through winding structure. And, winding though their journey had been, Futaba had been able to confirm they were getting closer to their goal.

In a narrow hall, Makoto held her hand to her side, instantly halting her team. "Look at that. There's scorch marks on the wall up ahead, to the right. On the left... You see those tiny holes?"

"Oh! You're right," Haru exclaimed. "Good work, Queen. But I don't see any kind of switch... how are we supposed to get through?"

"Well, I'm sure whoever set this up has secret means to deactivate it from this side. Regardless, we're in luck. Panther, fire's your specialty. Summon Carmen to protect you, and check out what's on the other side."

Ann nodded. "Got it! I hope you know what you're saying... Persona!" With a word, the figure of the dress-clad dancer appeared next to her. Trusting her partner's idea, Panther didn't hesitate to throw herself and her Persona through the trap. Sure enough, several plumes of fire shot from the left wall, heating up the small corridor. The Phantom Thief wasn't quite unharmed, but, as Queen had predicted, she was barely singed. Ann's Persona even had the ability to heal herself, which she quickly did once free of the trap.

Makoto let out a sigh of relief, but tensed again when she heard Panther let out a shout. "What's wrong?"

Ann had taken a combat stance with her whip taut between its grip and her palm. She wasn't attacking, however. "Queen, I've found someone! They look scared. I don't think they're dangerous."

Futaba's voice chimed in on their comms. "Yeah... I'm picking up some life signs, but if it's a Shadow, it's a total freebie."

Part of Makoto was sure that meant it was a trap, but if it was someone who needed their help, she couldn't risk ordering a pre-emptive attack. "Panther, do you see a switch of some kind to turn off the fire?"

To Makoto's surprise, it wasn't Ann who answered. Instead, a shrill, panicked yelp came from around the bend. It'd be difficult to interpret over the roar of the flame if it wasn't so loud. "Th-th-there's no switch! We're trapped by fire on both sides! We're gonna burn alive, or else die of starvation! It's totally hopeless!! How could this happen to a genius like me?!"

"Please, stay calm!" Makoto shouted. "Is there a switch, Panther?"

Ann answered now. "Uhh... Finding secret switches isn't my specialty, but... Wait a minute! This stone's colored differently. Maybe...?"

Not long after Ann disappeared around the corner, there was a sound of stone grinding against stone, and Makoto heard a click. Cautiously, she stuck her hand forward into the hall. The trap didn't activate. "Good work! Everyone okay?"

When Makoto turned the corner, before anyone could react, she was suddenly pounced by the figure that had been hidden from her. It seemed like another woman, probably just a bit older than Makoto herself, with shocking, feathered blue hair and wearing a slick black leather ensemble that gave her the look of some kind of fetish police warden, including a billed cap, sleeveless jacket, short skirt, gloves, and boots. Makoto noticed sharp teeth in the woman's bawling mouth, mis-matched medals all over the chest of her outfit, and large breasts that were squishing against her as the stranger clung to her.

"Oh thank you thank you!! I thought I was gonna be trapped there forever! I owe you my life and ow ow ow!!" The stranger suddenly backed off, rubbing her arm. "Spikes! Why are you covered in spikes?!"

"Um... Sorry about that," Makoto apologized out of politeness. "Are you hurt- Wait a minute. Are you a demon?"

"Well, yes and yes," the woman replied, licking a small stab wound and wincing. "My name is Mekanee, the Combat Genius. Quite a way to introduce yourself to someone, stabbing one who only wishes to profess gratitude!"

Makoto thought one apology for the unintentional stab was enough. "You don't seem to be hostile, even though you're an inhabitant of the Metaverse. Can we talk? Can you explain what's going on here?"

Panther still hadn't dropped her whip, watching the demon warily. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Queen? Even if she's harmless, she doesn't seem friendly-"

"Hold your tongue!" Mekanee interrupted her testily. The Phantom Thieves were amazed to hear she pronounced the word "ton-goo." "You, the blonde bimbo, back up and resuscitate your words."

"You mean repeat?" Ann was already getting impatient with the standoffish stranger. "I said, 'even if she's harmless, she doesn't seem-'"

"No, no, prior to that!"

"'... Are you sure that's a good idea, Queen?'"

"Yes, that's it!" Mekanee turned back to Makoto with excitement and stars in her eyes. "You mean to tell me you're the brains of this group of stylish infilterators, and furthermore, you make them address you as 'Queen'?!"

Makoto wasn't sure how to respond. She wasn't eager to start revealing information to a potentially dangerous stranger, but, somehow, talking to her felt like talking to a child. A maternal instinct activated, like that of a teacher who felt compelled to explain to a struggling student. "You meant infiltrators. Um... I have some experience in tactics, that's all. We're the Phantom Thieves. I don't **** the others to call me Queen, it's just a code name..."

"Aah, sublime!!" The woman crooned and clasped her hands together even tighter. "Ah, yes, I can think of no greater thrill than to be known as 'Queen' for one's tactical prowess, to be surrounded by oafish underlings who carry out your enlightened orders! That's it, I've decided! From now on, I shall lead these Fancy Thieves as Queen! Change your codename now, please."

Before Queen could react, Ann took offense for her. "Look, I'm Panther, she's Noir, and whatever you're up to, this woman is Queen. You don't just get to say you're a part of the Phantom Thieves, snap your fingers, and make it happen."

"Pish tosh! With my unparallel brainpower, your tawdry gang here will become legendary. Besides, I'm every bit as good as Leatherhead over here. Oh, that's a good name! You'll be Leatherhead from now on."

Makoto stared in silence for a moment behind her steel eyemask, simmering silence which ought to have scared a rational woman. She had plenty of patience for children, but little tolerance for foolishness. "Excuse me... I think you've made some kind of mistake. We can help you out of this room, or we can leave you to fend for yourself. Those are your two choices."

"For a 'Queen' of tactics, you're dumber than you appear," Mekanee taunted, pressing her hand to the formerly depressed stone, which now moved outward at her touch. "Now that I know of this secret switch, I can leave any time I like. You should pray I don't take your band with me and leave you to fend for yourself, Leatherhead!"

"... Panther, Noir. Let's keep moving before I do something I regret." Makoto turned on her heels, feeling a vein pulsing in her forehead. She headed for the corridor, the way they hadn't entered. "Ms. Mekanee apparently doesn't want our help."

Haru was the one to object here. "Queen, wait! Turn around!"

The leader sighed, understanding her friend's objection. The demonic stranger was annoying, but she also seemed helpless and harmless. In reality, Makoto only intended to sweat the rudeness out of Mekanee, forcing her to admit she wanted protection. Once the meddler was crying and begging, the Phantom Thieves would do the right thing and turn around. She didn't mean to leave a defenseless-

Interrupting that train of thought, a jet of fire from a re-activated trap erupted from Makoto's side, causing her to yelp in panic and stumble backward, falling onto her butt on the hard stone. Feeling embers still singing her, she tried to recall some simple steps she was supposed to do in this situation, but found herself too addled to do so. Instead, she simply hollered and writhed on the floor.

Haru looked down at Makoto with confusion, unsure why their leader was freaking out at the tiny fires which would surely be smothered if she just calmed down and rolled. "Um... I-I'll use Amrita Drop, okay? Milady!" Haru's Persona added another figure to the already crowded room, but it did what it was summoned to do, casting a shower of green sparkles over Makoto's pitiable form that put out the small amount of fire on her.

"Aah! Ah..." The unnecessarily scorched brunette finally began calming down. "I... I was burning... I think it's cured now. I'm not sure what I was... What I was thinking. I must have been confused, besides just burning. Your quick thinking did the trick, though."

Clenching her teeth, Ann whirled back on Mekanee. "You! I know I turned that switch off earlier! Idiot, you turned it back on!"

"Oh, it toggles..." Mekanee inspected the switch more carefully, causing it to press back in. "That is, what I should say is, am I the idiot for turning it back on, or is your so-called 'Queen' the fool for willingly skipping into my trap face-first? This is proof enough that I should be Queen!"

"I've had enough of this!" Makoto brushed the taunting demon out of the way and touched the switch again, causing it to push out. She turned on her heels and began marching for the exit again. "Ladies, let's- hghk!"

This time, before her friend could walk haplessly into the trap in a repeat performance, Haru reached out and caught Makoto by the trailing muffler, briefly strangling her as she reeled her back in with surprising ****. The action was just barely fast enough to save her friend from another singing. "Makoto, are you quite all right? Um, the switch... this time, I think you pressed it yourself..."

"Ohoho!" Mekanee laughed. "That's what I call a 'double fake-out!' I tricked you into thinking it wasn't pressed. In actuality, the mechanism is engaged when the rock is out! Or is it when it's in? Out or in? Can your mind possibly keep up with my treachery?!"

Makoto finished gasping for breath. With new intent, she stormed over to Mekanee, staring down at her with cold intent and planting her fists on her hips. "Okay. Change of plans. I can see we aren't getting out of here safely until we deal with this creature."

Haru fidgeted. "If you say so... I don't think it was her fault, though. I mean, you were the one who- W-well, I don't mean to imply anything. All of us make mistakes. If you say we need to deal with the threat, we'll back you up!"

"Good." Makoto sighed. "Look, Mekanee. You're being a nuisance, but you still seem like a victim here. I'm not going to go all out beating you up. What can we do to get you to stop bothering us?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Mekanee taunted, throwing her arms open in a grand gesture. "Let us compete for the title of Queen of Tactics! If you win, I shall gracefully step aside... Nay, I shall lead you directly to wherever you wish to go! However, if I win... I shall become the Queen of the Phantom Thieves, and you shall take your proper role as my lowly servant!"

Ann clicked her teeth. "So pompous... Like we're going to make you a member of the Phantom Thieves, no matter what sneaky trick you pull!"

Makoto put a hand on her friend's shoulder, shaking her head and feeling calm and reason return to her. "Easy, Panther. This one's childish. She doesn't understand the mistake she's making. I'd rather play a game with her and put her to bed than keep worrying if she's going to try and trip me up. Okay, Mekanee. What kind of competition did you have in mind?"