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  April 11th, 10:45 am
Gatewater International

I let out what is quite possibly the biggest yawn of my life. I haven't slept in this late for years. But I suppose the recent events have taken a toll on me, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if my internal clock is still out of whack after jumping across so many time zones.
Maya's already up and watching TV it seems. "Finally awake, Nick? You've gotta check this out!" she calls to me enthusiastically, pointing at the screen. It's none other than the Steel Samurai, though it seems to be the Japanese dub.

---Music: Steel Samurai ---

I can understand what they are saying, but they are talking so fast and dramatically that it's hard to keep up. I would prefer it if there were English subtitles.
Lucky for me, Maya is already standing on the bed while mimicking the poses of the characters and perfectly reciting the original English lines from the show. "We meet again, Steel Samurai! But you are too late! In fifteen minutes, when the moon reaches its highest point, my plan will be complete!" she grunts, keeping her voice deep and sinister, before changing her voice to one heroic and fitting of the hero of the show. "That's where you are wrong, Evil Magistrate! For the justice of my blade is never too late! Fifteen minutes is more than enough time to defeat your evil once and for all!"
Haha. I can't believe Maya is such a dedicated fan that she has the script to this episode more or less memorized. Right as the two rivals clash, the episode ends on a cliff hanger, and the credits begin rolling.

  ---Music: Investigation ~ Opening 2001 ---

"Woo! Nothing like a good episode of Steel Samurai to get your blood pumping!" Maya cheers.
"I can't believe how awake you are. How late did we stay up scanning through that research?" I ask groggily.
She looks away while considering the question. "Hmm. Dunno! I went to bed before you did, after all."
That explains it. "Well, regardless," I say with another yawn, "I've got a pretty good grasp on this whole Cognitive Psience subject now."
She nods along with me. "If you look past the psycho-babble details, it's really not so complicated. Basically, there is--or was, rather--a way to use psychology to change someone's personality... or, to kill, as we learned from Shido..."
I scratch my chin. "That lets us know that our theories are entirely possible, like we were worried."
"But at the same time, it doesn't give us any direction or leads to continue looking into those theories..." Maya laments.
"We should get right to it, then," I conclude, "Let's go to the Sniffsonian Museum."
She scratches her head just a tad. "Huh. That name sounds familiar, for some reason..."
"From what I've read, it's one of the biggest museums around these parts. And it's exactly where Shido told us to go," I remind her. "Could you pull up your GPS on your phone to find out where it is?"
"Oh, right. I forgot that your phone broke..."
I'm embarrassed, but I try to smile and laugh it off. "Well, I mean, I didn't know that drink was carbonated and was going to explode when I opened it... haha..."
"Yeesh. We really need to stop by a phone store to get you a temporary model or something," she insists.
"We'll reach that bridge when we come to it," I agree, "For now, let's-"

---(Music End)---

  ---Music: Ringtone ~ Steel Samurai Theme ---

"Oh, looks like I'm getting a call," Maya announces in response to the ringing phone in her pocket. She pulls it out and looks at the screen before answering. "Caller unknown... hmm. This is just like the call I got earlier this morning."
"You got a call earlier? Did you answer it?"
"No. It was like eight thirty and I was still half asleep, and I didn't trust an unknown caller ID."
"Maybe you should answer it this time. If they are calling you a second time it might be important."
*Click*

---(Music End)---

"Hello, this is Maya Fey speaking..." she answers. The room is quiet for a moment as she listens to whatever the other person is.
She takes her phone away from her ear and taps the screen, and suddenly I can hear the voice of whoever is calling her. "Have you put me on speaker now? Can you both hear me?" a robotic-sounding voice speaks. It doesn't sound entirely human.
"Yes, we can. But who are you?" Maya asks uneasily.
"Mr. Wright would know me as Alibaba," the voice announces decisively.
Something about this scenario seems familiar. The falsified voice being transmitted over a low quality speaker reminds me a lot of my encounter with Shelly de Killer. "I'm guessing you are using a voice changer?" I say.
The monotone inflection and lack of any discernible characteristics such as gender or age have already answered my question, but Alibaba confirms it directly. "Your guess would be correct."
"So, who exactly are you, and why do you need to hide your identity from us?" Maya asks.
  "I am still treating this matter with slight caution. Forgive me for my rudeness."
"Well, I can forgive you if you answer a few questions," I propose.
There is a moment of hesitation on the other end before Alibaba resumes. "I can attempt to do so, if that will earn your trust."

---Music: Questioning ~ Moderato 2007 ---

I'm going to use this opportunity to ask a big question on both of our minds. "Alibaba, we were wondering... are you a member of the 'Phantom Thieves of Hearts?'"
"That would be correct as well. Though, you realize, that group name hasn't meant anything for quite a long time, yes?"
The conversation has barely started, and I'm already analyzing as much as possible. "And why would that be? Is the group disbanded?"
"In a matter of speaking."
So, time to draw some connections. I'm going to try and cover as much ground as possible. I don't know how long Alibaba is going to be willing to continue cooperating with answers. "Is that because the Metaverse no longer exists...?" I infer, recalling what Shido-san mentioned about the subject, "Can the Phantom Thieves no longer act without the Metaverse?"
Another momentary pause. "I see you have been doing your research. At this point I'm going to assume Masayoshi Shido has told you everything he knows."
Maya looks surprised, but I'm not too shocked myself. A famous hacker anonymously contacting first my phone, and now Maya's? I've already assumed I'm being kept track of by Alibaba, or even being watched. It's not hard to believe that Alibaba would already know about our meeting with Shido-san.
Maya shifts a bit in discomfort. "How did you get a hold of my phone number, anyway?"
"It wasn't hard to trace your name back to phone directories in America to find your number. I will admit that I would have contacted Mr. Wright directly, but that seemed to be impossible. Why is that?"
"Nick spilled soda on his phone and it broke."

---(Music Pause)---

"..."
"..."
"..."
"... It happens..." I grumble.

---(Music Resume)---

"W-well, that aside..." Alibaba continues with a cough.
"Er, getting back to the topic at hand..." I steer the conversation, "You can confirm directly that you were part of a group that somehow used supernatural means to change the personalities of others... is that correct?"
"Yes."
"I just had one more question," I pressure."Will you answer me this: if the Metaverse doesn't exist anymore, is it possible that Cognitive Psience could still be used via some other means to commit crimes or murders?"
"Hmm... the answer to that question is beyond what I know myself. We have the same suspicions about the abuse of Cognitive Psience. Unfortunately, we don't know any more at this moment in time."
Now that's interesting. Maya and I have been wildly jumping to conclusion after conclusion at the mere possibility of supernatural incidents taking place, and yet this person seems to already be on the same page. "What kinds of reasons do you have backing your suspicions?" I ask.
"I imagine the same ones you and your partner have. My group and I have done extensive research, and have noticed trends with bizarre murders and incidents over the last few weeks."
Few weeks, eh? I had only drawn connections between a small handful of events over the last few days. The possibility of foul play may run deeper than I had thought.
"Is this the reason you contacted us?" Maya reasons.
"Yes. You are planning to go to the Sniffsonian Museum next, yes?"
Looks like I was right to assume that Alibaba has been keeping his eye on me, if he already knows my next move. "Yes, that's right," I confirm.
"Good. We of the Phantom Thieves wish to aid you in your investigation."

---(Music End)---

*!*
"Whoa..." Maya gasps.
"While you are at the museum, I plan to keep contact with you. If you don't mind, it would be preferable to perform a phone call with you, as well, so that I may listen to whatever it is you are hearing."
Maya puts her phone down and leans close to me in order to whisper. "This is moving pretty fast. Are we really going to trust a complete stranger just like that?"
"I don't know," I answer back, keeping my voice soft as well, "They are a hacker, and a former thief..."
"I understand if you are skeptical," Alibaba speaks aloud, "But I can assure you our intentions are just, and align with your own."
"I don't suppose you'd be able to meet with us in person at any point...?" I infer.
"... That may complicate things."
I grasp my magatama within my hand. If I could speak with this Alibaba in the flesh, it would be simple to discover if they are hiding something from us. This magatama has been charged with spiritual energy, which it allows me to see mystical locks around a person whenever they are keeping a secret. With enough persuasion and skill, these 'Psyche-Locks' can be broken, which I've done plenty of times in the past to reveal carefully guarded information. This magatama is the most dependable lie detector test I have, and if a person doesn't have any locks at all, then I can assume they are being completely honest with me.
Maya already knows why I've asked the question, as she was the one who gave me the magatama in the first place, and she has long since known about its abilities. "What harm could it be seeing who you really are?" she pressures.
"When the time is right, we may be able to reveal ourselves to you. But at this moment in time, that could be pose significant risk to both of us."
"Why is that?" Maya continues asking.

  ---Music: Who's There? ---

"The identities of most of the members of the Phantom Thieves are not known by the public or by authorities. However, with the level of notoriety we have had with in the past, we have no way of knowing if any antagonistic force secretly knows who we are. All of the world was aware about the Phantom Thieves at the height of our popularity, so it's possible that tabs have been kept on us by any number of Masayoshi Shido's former cohorts, or anyone else invested in watching the activities of our group."
They're definitely being incredibly cautious about all of this. "I'm guessing that means... if you start investigating yourself, it might raise suspicions?"
"That is exactly right. We have no idea who our enemies are, nor do we know if we are being watched. You two, on the other hand, are travelers from a different country entirely. No one would have any reason at all to suspect that two vacationing foreigners are investigating a possible conspiracy. 'Tagging along' via Miss Maya's phone is actually the safest way for my group to aid you as you try to get to the bottom of this."

---(Music End)---

The two of us, as well as our mysterious conversation partner, are all silent for a time. It's a lot to think about. He is asking for us to trust him implicitly, after all.
I instinctively give the phone a shifty look. "Maya, are you ok with this person tracking your phone audio like this?"
An extended pause before Maya finally replies. "Nick, can we talk about this in private for a moment?"
She puts her phone down and the two of us walk into the hotel room's bathroom, and close the door behind us so that Alibaba won't hear what we discuss.

---Music: Confrontation ~ Moderato 2009 ---

"What do you make of all this?" she asks me.
"It's hard to say, if I'm honest. I have mixed feelings on this Alibaba person," I inform her. "But, it sure seemed like he was looking out for me during the trial the other day. If I take what he is saying at face value, then he seems trustworthy... but there's also what you told me about his affiliations, with these Phantom Thieves."
"Well, the Phantom Thieves weren't necessarily bad or anything," Maya reiterates, "They only targeted corrupt individuals, or so the the media says. I don't know if they ever committed any traditional thievery, or any crimes at all for that matter. Though I think I may have read a bit about breaking and entering charges somewhere along the line."
I hold my chin. "I'm also taking our own circumstances into consideration. We're on the other side of the planet right now without many leads. It could benefit us to gain some savvy allies, especially ones from Japan who are already involved with the events we've been researching."
"That's a good point," Maya nods, "I don't see too much of a risk in letting them cooperate with us for a bit. We can rethink things later if Alibaba acts sketchy or anything."
Maya and I have reached an agreement here. It looks like we'll be working together with a member of the Phantom Thieves as we dive deeper into these mysterious murders.

---(Music End)---

We exit the bathroom and Maya picks her phone back up.
"Is everything alright?" Alibaba asks with traces of concern in his voice.

  ---Music: Investigation ~ Opening 2004 ---

Maya answers before I do. "Before anything else, I have to insist that you stop tracking my phone, or my GPS, or whatever else once this Sniffsonian visit is over. It's kind of creepy being followed everywhere!"
"... We can agree to this. But, should we discover anything pertinent, we may need to remain in contact."
"Also, what do we stand to gain with your help? How can you benefit us in our investigations?" I question.
Ailbaba doesn't answer for a few seconds, perhaps contemplating the question. "Considering the nature of our respective searches deal with the same conspiracy, information would be the most appropriate commodity to trade. We've already discerned the identities of a potentially relevant individual or two, and we will wholly collaborate our findings with yours as we continue to try and learn more about what's going on. We can discuss more details at length at your convenience later, but I believe you two have a museum to go to first."
We've made up our minds... for the time being. "Alright, Alibaba. I think we're prepared to work with you. But I have a condition of my own."
"What would that be, Mr. Wright?"
"I don't know anything about your group or their methods of operation, but I have to insist that no laws be broken."
"I think they are breaking a law or two by getting into our phones without our consent in the first place, Nick," Maya points out.
  Good, uh... good point. "You know what I mean. Phantom Thieves or not, there won't be any thievery, or law breaking."
"Aw, man!" a new voice shouts. It sounds robotic as well, but I can tell by the change of tone and inflection that it is another person who just shouted. I'm not surprised other members of this Phantom Thieves group have been listening.
"Quiet, Skull!" I hear another, different voice whisper. I then hear several "shhhh!" noises, as if there are others around trying to quiet down whoever just spoke. I... think I hear what sounds like angry 'meow'-ing from a cat as well...?
???
"My, er, appologies," I hear Alibaba interject into the chaos, and suddenly their end of the phone quiets down. "We can agree to this as well. We have no desire whatsoever to commit any crimes."
I can't say that I'm at ease with any of this, personally. I can tell Maya is on edge as well. I suppose we should have recognized that signing on to work with Alibaba would likely mean working with other Phantom Thieves. And their cat, apparently.
I scratch my head both physically and metaphorically, due to the sheer absurdity of all of this. "Well, Maya... it's about time for us to get a move on."
She's already taken her stance of determination, fists raised and with a confident scowl on her face. "Right! Time for us to go visit the Sniffsonian!"
"Your cooperation is much appreciated, Miss Maya and Mr. Wright. I'll be contacting you once more once I see that you've reached your destination. It would be to your benefits to keep an earbud in one ear in case I do need to communicate with you."
*click*
Well, it's time to roll out to the station to see when the next train bound for the museum will be coming.

---(Music End)---

  April 11th, 1:15 pm
Sniffsonian Museum Entrance

"Wooow... this place is already impressive!" Maya gawks, taking in the sights of the very exterior of the building in front of us.
"This is the Sniffsonian, alright," I read off of a sign outside of the building, which indeed has 'SNIFFSONIAN MUSEUM" spelled out with fancy gold letters of roman characters. In architecture and atmosphere it feels very western.
"C'mon, let's go inside!" Maya leads, grabbing my sleeve and dragging me along with her.
As we get close to the building, her phone begins ringing.

---Music: Ringtone ~ Steel Samurai Theme ---

"Well, we know who that is..." Maya says as she answers the incoming call.
*Click*

---(Music End)---

She puts one of her earbuds in her ear to listen discretely. "Yep. It's Alibaba," Maya clarifies, just like I expected. "I'll keep the call going, and if he wants to say anything to you, I'll tell you."
Not entirely convenient if I can't hear Alibaba directly myself, but I'll have to make do.
As we go, something catches my eye. There's a set of those old coin-operated newspaper boxes, and all of them have the same article on their front pages, an article with Sniffsonian in the title of it. On a whim, I drop a coin in one of them and take a copy. It may be relevant, so why not?
Maya turns around and looks at what I'm doing. "Huh... something caught your interest, Nick?"
Now that I'm holding the newspaper in my hand, I can see the full text of the article. "The Curious Case of Missing Sniffsonian Exhibits," I read aloud.
"Oh, hey, that's an article about this place! Is that today's paper?" she questions.
"Yes, it looks like it. This article is all about a lost painting that seemingly disappeared without a trace last week. It also says that there are rumors about other art pieces which have been taken off display, and how they may be lost as well."
"That's really strange," Maya remarks with her eyebrow raised, "You'd think the authorities would be involved with priceless art disappearing from a famous museum..."
"It says here that the curator has been trying to resolve the issue and has the police involved," I further, "but progress hasn't been made on finding any leads or anything. The Sniffsonian staff as a whole have been mostly quiet on the issue."
"Do they... just not care about their exhibits going missing...?" Maya questions with skepticism.
I read a little further into the article for more details. "It says here that the various organizations and patrons who have donated to the museum are really upset about it. Many of the pieces missing were privately owned and were only able to be displayed because of negotiations and deals with the museum. In the meantime, the museum has been offering monetary compensation to the donors of the missing pieces."
"What a weird thing to read about a museum," Maya shrugs, "How in the world do pieces just go missing, anyway?"
For some reason, I have an uneasy feeling in my gut. I'll definitely be taking this Sniffsonian Article with me in my evidence.
Er, well, in my pocket at least. I guess it's not really evidence if I'm not preparing for a trial, huh.
"Alibaba is asking if you think that newspaper is important," Maya narrates.
I shrug. "You never really know. It's related to this museum, so I figured it might be relevant.
"Well, anyway, let's get back to business. The line is going to get longer if we don't get in soon," Maya pushes.

  April 11th, 1:25 pm
Sniffsonian Museum Atrium

---Music: What's Going On? ---

I would normally be interested in viewing the various exhibits at a famous museum, but we're here for strictly business at the moment. We were handed a brochure to act as our guide, but it doesn't appear to have the information we need on it. Maya turns the pamphlet at various angles while looking at the map it includes. "Yeah, the office isn't listed here. Good thing we asked the tour guide earlier. We know that our destination is on the third floor, near the center of the building. That's where we'll find the curator's office."
The museum seems fairly lively today. There are multitudes of visitors observing, appreciating, and taking photos of the various displays and exhibits as we walk around. Eventually, we find ourselves in what must be the main attraction of the museum: an extremely large and spacious, circular atrium. The room is vast, and with the roof being entirely made of glass, everything is lit brightly by natural lighting.
From what I can see the most popular and interesting exhibits are displayed proudly from the ground floor. The majority of the room is simply open air, with a few exhibits hanging from the ceiling such as airplanes and various modern art pieces. The huge openness of the atrium gives it plenty of breathing room, and I can practically smell the fresh air. Maybe that's where the museum got its name from?
All around the room there are doors and openings leading outward from this room into other parts of the museum. "One of those doors on the third floor leads to the curator's office," Maya explains to me.
  The room is several stories tall, and I can see that the outer edges of the room have stairs for ascending to upper levels. The upper levels are fairly narrow walkways which curve around the perimeter of the room, with smaller and more modest exhibits on display atop these balconies. But from what I can gather, it seems the room has been designed in a way that allows anyone standing on any level to have full view of the entirety of the ground floor and all of the exhibits it houses. I don't think I've ever seen a room quite like this one before.
We've already reached the second floor now, but I can hear someone calling to us. "Excuse me, excuse me, sir!" a voice speaks from behind me. The voice is not familiar, but I feel familiarity because whoever just spoke didn't speak in Japanese.
I turn to see a man in a suit with a beard approaching us with a fast paced walk, extending his arm out towards us to signal that we are the ones he is calling. "Do you speak English?" he asks.

---Music: Strange People (Gyakuten Kenji 2) ---

"Yes, we do," I reply cordially.
A smile appears on his face and he breaths in relief. "You two must be Americans. Thank goodness. I lost my phrases guidebook, and my Japanese is pretty terrible, unfortunately... and I could use some assistance."
"How can we help, sir?" Maya asks him.
"I'm just looking for someone, and was wondering if anyone here has seen him here. I've been searching the whole museum and can't seem to find him."
Perhaps we can be of aid. I've seen plenty of people since I've entered the museum, after all. "Who might that be?"
"I'm looking for someone named 'Hebi Hibiki,' who is supposed to work here," the man explains, "I'm not entirely sure what he looks like, as I've never met him. But supposedly his hair has red and black highlights."
Even without a vivid description, the hair color alone is enough to clue us in on who to look for. "Sounds like hair like that would be impossible to miss if you saw it," I comment.
"Yeah, seriously," the man says, disheartened, "That's why I'm so surprised I haven't seen him anywhere."
I can tell Maya is digging through her memories as she stares off to the side in thought. "Hmm. Nope. I haven't seen anyone like that today. Have you, Nick?"
I shake my head. "Unfortunately not. Sorry, sir."
The man snaps his finger diagonally downward in frustration. "Damn. I've got a really important bone to pick with him."
"Hmm. A bone to pick...?" Maya repeats, analyzing his words.
"Is there any way we can help you look for him?" I ask.
The man contemplates the offer. "Well, if you do happen to meet him, tell him that he's about to make a very big mistake, and that 'a friend of the Director' would very much like to talk some sense into him."
Our conversational partner goes on his way without another word.

---Music: Investigation ~ Opening 2004 ---

"How... peculiar," I mumble.
"Alibaba says you are actually looking for the same person as him," Maya relays to me. I had almost forgotten he is in a phone call with us, listening to what's happening around us. "Hebi Hibiki is the name of the museum's curator, according to what Masayoshi Shido informed him."
Maya turns around and loudly exclaims, "Hey, sir, we're actually looking for him too!" in the direction the man from before left. Unfortunately, he merged into the crowd when he was leaving, and I can't really be sure which way he went.
"'That entire conversation felt rather peculiar,' Alibaba says," Maya informs me, "He's wondering what business that man had with the curator."
That's a rather good point. "Hmm... you are right, something suspicious could be going on here. That man didn't seem like someone random, he was dressed sharply, and he carried an air of someone important."
Maya nods. "If we see him again, we'll have to ask him for more details. My gut's telling me this won't be the last we'll see of him."
  In my notes, I add a profile for Mysterious Man. I keep details on his appearance, his behavior, and leave a note about that strange comment about a director.
"Either way," I speak, "We still need to keep looking."

---(Music End)---

  April 11th, 1:40 pm
Sniffsonian Museum Atrium Third Floor

By now we've reached the third floor, and it looks like the office we are searching for is a short walk across the curved balcony, and in no time we're knocking on the door.
We give it a few seconds. No response. We knock again, and we're returned silence for another few seconds.
There's a security guard approaching us. "May I help you folks?" he asks.
"You may be able to, actually," I answer politely, "We're looking for the museum curator. We wish to speak with him."
"Hibiki-san?" the guard speaks, immediately knowing who we are talking about. "I believe he's attending to various matters around the museum."
That seems normal. I imagine he'll return to his office at some point. "Do you know when he will be back?"
The guard shrugs a bit. "Later in the day, surely. But usually when he goes into his office, he attends to urgent paperwork. If he's coming back here, he surely won't want to be bothered."
"Where else would he likely be?" Maya asks, "Maybe we can go find him on our own before he gets wrapped into his work."
"Most likely in one of the off-limits areas, I'm sorry," the guard apologizes, "But I don't believe he has taken his lunch break yet, at least, not from what I've seen. I bet if you wait around the food court area, he'll run into you eventually."
"Would you mind showing us where the food court is?" I request.
"Absolutely, allow me to take you there now," the guard agrees.
I bow in respect. "Thank you for the help."
With the security guard leaving the way, Maya and I move towards the food court.

  April 11th, 1:50 pm
Sniffsonian Museum Food Court

We've played the waiting game for a while now. Hopefully it won't be too much longer until the curator arrives. The security guard stayed to eat, as I suppose he had decided to take his lunch break as well.
As he gets up after finishing his meal, I can't help but notice the guard seems to be jittery, and looks uneasy. "Is everything alright, sir...?" I ask with concern.
As he responds to me, I can hear clear hesitation in his voice. "Er, yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask...?"
I try and sort the thoughts in my head. So far, Maya and I have run into at least two out-of-the-ordinary things about this museum. First, apparently there are missing exhibits. Secondly, there is a mysterious man looking for the curator just like we are. This has me thinking... well, worrying, rather. I know that we came here for the purpose of meeting the curator, and hopefully having him give us the pearl that Shido told us about. My concern, however, is that all may not be as it seems on the surface here at the Sniffsonian. I need to stay prepared for any kind of complication that could hinder Maya and me, and on guard for any kind of trouble we could run into. To that end, I can't help but feel very uneasy at all of the odd circumstances surrounding this place.
"Pardon my rudeness," I apologize, before leaning in to whisper to the guard so that no one else can hear, "But is there something suspicious going on with this museum?"
I tried to keep the question as open ended as possible. Depending on how this security guard interprets my question, I may get some insight into whatever abnormal is happening at this museum.
He sweats a bit. "Oh, not at all! There's nothing suspicious going on here!" he replies, almost in an argumentative tone.
My vision darkens, and the area around the guard goes black, so he is the only thing I see in front of me. I can feel the warmth of my magatama in my pocket, and suddenly I see silver chains erupt out of thin air, wrapping around the man tightly. On those chains, locks appear! I count one, two... three red Psyche-Locks...!
Bingo! This security guard knows something, and he is keeping a secret. I have no clue what that secret could possibly be, so I'll just have to use what I do know and try to learn more about this museum. With any luck, he may even mention that strange pearl we are after.
I take out my Magatama and grasp it within my hand.



  -- Something Smells at the Sniffsonian --

---Music: Psyche-Locks ---

"Nope, no way, no how, there's nothing strange or abnormal at all here at the Sniffsonian!" the guard reiterates.
I shake my head. "I don't think that's true. I think something very strange has just happened recently, in fact! And I have evidence to prove it!"
I'm lucky to have kept that Sniffsonian Article with me, because now is the perfect time to present it.



With a sound not unlike glass breaking, one of the psyche-locks shatters into pieces as the guard stares at me in wide-eyed surprise. That's one down, two to go. I'm a little bit closer to making this guard loosen up on keeping this secret so he can tell me what he knows.
"That's, er... well, ok. You've got me there. There are some crazy rumors going on about our museum. But that's all they are, rumors!"
Ok. So I need to plan out a route to attack from. What could this secret be? What is it I'm trying to prove?
That would have to be something about the curator, if I narrow down my line of questioning to something I know to be suspicious of.
"Mr. Guard, I'd like to ask you about the museum's curator, Hebi Hibiki. I think something suspicious may be going on with him."
"Is that so? Why is that...?" the guard asks, and I can tell by his voice that he is speaking cautiously.
"According to this article, the staff here haven't put much effort into these disappearances. Doesn't that strike you as strange...?"
"Well, I suppose it is a bit... but, it's not like anything was stolen, or something. They've probably just been misplaced or something."
Close, but no cigar. The locks aren't moving. I'll have to put a little more pressure on, and perhaps come up with some sort of evidence to back up my argument.
"What is it you are exactly trying to ask about the curator, anyway? I don't get why you are asking me all of these questions."
Hmm... he makes a good point, that I need to have a little more direction with my approach.
"I'm asking you if the curator has gotten involved in anything sketchy. Perhaps, something that could be drawing the interest of other parties."
"What do you mean by that? Who else would be interested in the curator?"
Here we go! I present the profile I wrote notes for about the Mysterious Man.



"Earlier today, we encountered a strange man in a suit who was looking for the curator. He seemed to have urgent business with Mr. Hibiki."
*!*
"Who... who could that be...?" the guard mumbles to himself uneasily, before wracking himself with worry.
  Another lock crumbles into shards and disappears into the darkness. One Psyche-Lock left.
"Mr. Guard, is there anything at all you can tell me to explain why a mysterious man is on the lookout for your boss? Does it have anything to do with the missing exhibits...?"
"I... can't really tell you. I don't even know who you are, or where you came from. How do I know you aren't after him yourself?"
'After him' he said... what could that possibly mean? "Is the curator in some sort of danger?" I ask urgently.
  "He will be if I keep running my mouth! Just forget that we talked about any of this, ok?"
  Somehow I've made things even LESS clear.
I... er... you know what? I think I've actually hit a wall here. I don't have anything else in my possession, physically or mentally, that I could use to press any of these issues further. He's barely answered any questions yet he has opened up a hundred more. I don't know if I can keep going with this line of questioning without more information or evidence...

---(Music Fade Out)---

The pitch black nothingness surrounding the guard fades out slowly, and I'm once again aware of my regular surroundings. I'm back in the food court. I may not be seeing it anymore, but that Psyche-Lock is definitely still there, keeping this guard's secrets chained up.
I hear a new voice speak to us from off to the side of where we are standing. The voice sounds rather flamboyant. "Excuse me, what exactly is going on here?"

---Music: Elegant ~ And Excellence ---

Maya, the guard, and myself are approached by a man dressed from the wrong century entirely. He looks like an actor who just finished performing a role in the play Hamilton. His red suit is stitched elegantly and parts at his waist into a tail coat, and has black pants and socks which raise to just under his knees. On top of it all, he's even wearing a powdered wig with a ponytail which slithers back and forth as he walks. The wig is primarily white colored hair, but it has two cylinders of hair on each side of his head, one colored red and the other black.
"Excuse me, sir," Maya announces, "You seem to have dessert rolls stuck to your head."
"I beg your pardon!" the man gasps, thankfully more surprised than offended, "My young lady, this is my peruke!"
"Your what?" she asks, clueless.
With his eyes closed, he shakes his head and clicks his tongue a few times in disappointment. "Mademoiselle, I will have to educate you on the finer points of high fashion. But, that may be saved for yet another day. For now, I return to my original inquisition: what is going on here, my dear sirs?"
"Hibiki-san!" the security guard speaks, startled. He immediately kneels down on one knee and crosses his arm across his chest to formally bow.
"What was your name again? It's on the tip of my tongue, mister... mister... Yuri, was it?"
"Yurui Kuchibiru, Hibiki-san!" the guard introduces in a way that suggests it isn't the first time he's had to remind his boss his name.
"Ah, yes!" Hibiki cheers lightly with a snap of his fingers. "Mister Kuchibiru! I do recall you having been stationed on the third floor to make your rounds... or am I mistaken...?"
The guard speaks fast and frantically. "No, not at all, boss! I mean, sir! I'll be returning to my post right away!" he announces, and begins scurrying away.
I... don't... entirely know how to process what it happening right now. But, out of respect, I bow in a similarly archaic fashion, leaning forward and crossing my arm to my opposite shoulder. When in Rome, right? Or, rather, when in Japan. But, more like, when in 18th century France...? Ah, forget it.
  "Mr. Hibiki, it is a pleasure to meet you," I greet cordially. Maya sees me and follows along.
"The pleasure is all mine, miiiisteeer...."
"Wright. Phoenix Wright," I introduce myself with a smile, "I'm visiting Japan temporarily, but I have business with which I would like to speak with you."
"Ah! Of course. Say no more, Mister Wright," he replies pleasantly, grasping my hand between both of his and shaking it enthusiastically. "I am heading to my office on the third floor right at this moment. If you would please, would you follow me, and we can speak there?"
"As you wish, Mr. Hibiki," I comply. He begins happily marching along with Maya and I in tail.
"Nick," Maya whispers to me, "How in the heck do I explain to Alibaba what is going on?"
"Let's worry about explaining later. Once I figure out what's going on..."

  To be continued...

  ---(Music End)---

  ---Music: Jingle ~ That's All For Today ---

Would you like to save your game?

    Yes No

Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

  April 11th, 10:45 am
Gatewater International

I let out what is quite possibly the biggest yawn of my life. I haven't slept in this late for years. But I suppose the recent events have taken a toll on me, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if my internal clock is still out of whack after jumping across so many time zones.
Maya's already up and watching TV it seems. "Finally awake, Nick? You've gotta check this out!" she calls to me enthusiastically, pointing at the screen. It's none other than the Steel Samurai, though it seems to be the Japanese dub.

---Music: Steel Samurai ---

I can understand what they are saying, but they are talking so fast and dramatically that it's hard to keep up. I would prefer it if there were English subtitles.
Lucky for me, Maya is already standing on the bed while mimicking the poses of the characters and perfectly reciting the original English lines from the show. "We meet again, Steel Samurai! But you are too late! In fifteen minutes, when the moon reaches its highest point, my plan will be complete!" she grunts, keeping her voice deep and sinister, before changing her voice to one heroic and fitting of the hero of the show. "That's where you are wrong, Evil Magistrate! For the justice of my blade is never too late! Fifteen minutes is more than enough time to defeat your evil once and for all!"
Haha. I can't believe Maya is such a dedicated fan that she has the script to this episode more or less memorized. Right as the two rivals clash, the episode ends on a cliff hanger, and the credits begin rolling.

  ---Music: Investigation ~ Opening 2001 ---

"Woo! Nothing like a good episode of Steel Samurai to get your blood pumping!" Maya cheers.
"I can't believe how awake you are. How late did we stay up scanning through that research?" I ask groggily.
She looks away while considering the question. "Hmm. Dunno! I went to bed before you did, after all."
That explains it. "Well, regardless," I say with another yawn, "I've got a pretty good grasp on this whole Cognitive Psience subject now."
She nods along with me. "If you look past the psycho-babble details, it's really not so complicated. Basically, there is--or was, rather--a way to use psychology to change someone's personality... or, to kill, as we learned from Shido..."
I scratch my chin. "That lets us know that our theories are entirely possible, like we were worried."
"But at the same time, it doesn't give us any direction or leads to continue looking into those theories..." Maya laments.
"We should get right to it, then," I conclude, "Let's go to the Sniffsonian Museum."
She scratches her head just a tad. "Huh. That name sounds familiar, for some reason..."
"From what I've read, it's one of the biggest museums around these parts. And it's exactly where Shido told us to go," I remind her. "Could you pull up your GPS on your phone to find out where it is?"
"Oh, right. I forgot that your phone broke..."
I'm embarrassed, but I try to smile and laugh it off. "Well, I mean, I didn't know that drink was carbonated and was going to explode when I opened it... haha..."
"Yeesh. We really need to stop by a phone store to get you a temporary model or something," she insists.
"We'll reach that bridge when we come to it," I agree, "For now, let's-"

---(Music End)---

  ---Music: Ringtone ~ Steel Samurai Theme ---

"Oh, looks like I'm getting a call," Maya announces in response to the ringing phone in her pocket. She pulls it out and looks at the screen before answering. "Caller unknown... hmm. This is just like the call I got earlier this morning."
"You got a call earlier? Did you answer it?"
"No. It was like eight thirty and I was still half asleep, and I didn't trust an unknown caller ID."
"Maybe you should answer it this time. If they are calling you a second time it might be important."
*Click*

---(Music End)---

"Hello, this is Maya Fey speaking..." she answers. The room is quiet for a moment as she listens to whatever the other person is.
She takes her phone away from her ear and taps the screen, and suddenly I can hear the voice of whoever is calling her. "Have you put me on speaker now? Can you both hear me?" a robotic-sounding voice speaks. It doesn't sound entirely human.
"Yes, we can. But who are you?" Maya asks uneasily.
"Mr. Wright would know me as Alibaba," the voice announces decisively.
Something about this scenario seems familiar. The falsified voice being transmitted over a low quality speaker reminds me a lot of my encounter with Shelly de Killer. "I'm guessing you are using a voice changer?" I say.
The monotone inflection and lack of any discernible characteristics such as gender or age have already answered my question, but Alibaba confirms it directly. "Your guess would be correct."
"So, who exactly are you, and why do you need to hide your identity from us?" Maya asks.
  "I am still treating this matter with slight caution. Forgive me for my rudeness."
"Well, I can forgive you if you answer a few questions," I propose.
There is a moment of hesitation on the other end before Alibaba resumes. "I can attempt to do so, if that will earn your trust."

---Music: Questioning ~ Moderato 2007 ---

I'm going to use this opportunity to ask a big question on both of our minds. "Alibaba, we were wondering... are you a member of the 'Phantom Thieves of Hearts?'"
"That would be correct as well. Though, you realize, that group name hasn't meant anything for quite a long time, yes?"
The conversation has barely started, and I'm already analyzing as much as possible. "And why would that be? Is the group disbanded?"
"In a matter of speaking."
So, time to draw some connections. I'm going to try and cover as much ground as possible. I don't know how long Alibaba is going to be willing to continue cooperating with answers. "Is that because the Metaverse no longer exists...?" I infer, recalling what Shido-san mentioned about the subject, "Can the Phantom Thieves no longer act without the Metaverse?"
Another momentary pause. "I see you have been doing your research. At this point I'm going to assume Masayoshi Shido has told you everything he knows."
Maya looks surprised, but I'm not too shocked myself. A famous hacker anonymously contacting first my phone, and now Maya's? I've already assumed I'm being kept track of by Alibaba, or even being watched. It's not hard to believe that Alibaba would already know about our meeting with Shido-san.
Maya shifts a bit in discomfort. "How did you get a hold of my phone number, anyway?"
"It wasn't hard to trace your name back to phone directories in America to find your number. I will admit that I would have contacted Mr. Wright directly, but that seemed to be impossible. Why is that?"
"Nick spilled soda on his phone and it broke."

---(Music Pause)---

"..."
"..."
"..."
"... It happens..." I grumble.

---(Music Resume)---

"W-well, that aside..." Alibaba continues with a cough.
"Er, getting back to the topic at hand..." I steer the conversation, "You can confirm directly that you were part of a group that somehow used supernatural means to change the personalities of others... is that correct?"
"Yes."
"I just had one more question," I pressure."Will you answer me this: if the Metaverse doesn't exist anymore, is it possible that Cognitive Psience could still be used via some other means to commit crimes or murders?"
"Hmm... the answer to that question is beyond what I know myself. We have the same suspicions about the abuse of Cognitive Psience. Unfortunately, we don't know any more at this moment in time."
Now that's interesting. Maya and I have been wildly jumping to conclusion after conclusion at the mere possibility of supernatural incidents taking place, and yet this person seems to already be on the same page. "What kinds of reasons do you have backing your suspicions?" I ask.
"I imagine the same ones you and your partner have. My group and I have done extensive research, and have noticed trends with bizarre murders and incidents over the last few weeks."
Few weeks, eh? I had only drawn connections between a small handful of events over the last few days. The possibility of foul play may run deeper than I had thought.
"Is this the reason you contacted us?" Maya reasons.
"Yes. You are planning to go to the Sniffsonian Museum next, yes?"
Looks like I was right to assume that Alibaba has been keeping his eye on me, if he already knows my next move. "Yes, that's right," I confirm.
"Good. We of the Phantom Thieves wish to aid you in your investigation."

---(Music End)---

*!*
"Whoa..." Maya gasps.
"While you are at the museum, I plan to keep contact with you. If you don't mind, it would be preferable to perform a phone call with you, as well, so that I may listen to whatever it is you are hearing."
Maya puts her phone down and leans close to me in order to whisper. "This is moving pretty fast. Are we really going to trust a complete stranger just like that?"
"I don't know," I answer back, keeping my voice soft as well, "They are a hacker, and a former thief..."
"I understand if you are skeptical," Alibaba speaks aloud, "But I can assure you our intentions are just, and align with your own."
"I don't suppose you'd be able to meet with us in person at any point...?" I infer.
"... That may complicate things."
I grasp my magatama within my hand. If I could speak with this Alibaba in the flesh, it would be simple to discover if they are hiding something from us. This magatama has been charged with spiritual energy, which it allows me to see mystical locks around a person whenever they are keeping a secret. With enough persuasion and skill, these 'Psyche-Locks' can be broken, which I've done plenty of times in the past to reveal carefully guarded information. This magatama is the most dependable lie detector test I have, and if a person doesn't have any locks at all, then I can assume they are being completely honest with me.
Maya already knows why I've asked the question, as she was the one who gave me the magatama in the first place, and she has long since known about its abilities. "What harm could it be seeing who you really are?" she pressures.
"When the time is right, we may be able to reveal ourselves to you. But at this moment in time, that could be pose significant risk to both of us."
"Why is that?" Maya continues asking.

  ---Music: Who's There? ---

"The identities of most of the members of the Phantom Thieves are not known by the public or by authorities. However, with the level of notoriety we have had with in the past, we have no way of knowing if any antagonistic force secretly knows who we are. All of the world was aware about the Phantom Thieves at the height of our popularity, so it's possible that tabs have been kept on us by any number of Masayoshi Shido's former cohorts, or anyone else invested in watching the activities of our group."
They're definitely being incredibly cautious about all of this. "I'm guessing that means... if you start investigating yourself, it might raise suspicions?"
"That is exactly right. We have no idea who our enemies are, nor do we know if we are being watched. You two, on the other hand, are travelers from a different country entirely. No one would have any reason at all to suspect that two vacationing foreigners are investigating a possible conspiracy. 'Tagging along' via Miss Maya's phone is actually the safest way for my group to aid you as you try to get to the bottom of this."

---(Music End)---

The two of us, as well as our mysterious conversation partner, are all silent for a time. It's a lot to think about. He is asking for us to trust him implicitly, after all.
I instinctively give the phone a shifty look. "Maya, are you ok with this person tracking your phone audio like this?"
An extended pause before Maya finally replies. "Nick, can we talk about this in private for a moment?"
She puts her phone down and the two of us walk into the hotel room's bathroom, and close the door behind us so that Alibaba won't hear what we discuss.

---Music: Confrontation ~ Moderato 2009 ---

"What do you make of all this?" she asks me.
"It's hard to say, if I'm honest. I have mixed feelings on this Alibaba person," I inform her. "But, it sure seemed like he was looking out for me during the trial the other day. If I take what he is saying at face value, then he seems trustworthy... but there's also what you told me about his affiliations, with these Phantom Thieves."
"Well, the Phantom Thieves weren't necessarily bad or anything," Maya reiterates, "They only targeted corrupt individuals, or so the the media says. I don't know if they ever committed any traditional thievery, or any crimes at all for that matter. Though I think I may have read a bit about breaking and entering charges somewhere along the line."
I hold my chin. "I'm also taking our own circumstances into consideration. We're on the other side of the planet right now without many leads. It could benefit us to gain some savvy allies, especially ones from Japan who are already involved with the events we've been researching."
"That's a good point," Maya nods, "I don't see too much of a risk in letting them cooperate with us for a bit. We can rethink things later if Alibaba acts sketchy or anything."
Maya and I have reached an agreement here. It looks like we'll be working together with a member of the Phantom Thieves as we dive deeper into these mysterious murders.

---(Music End)---

We exit the bathroom and Maya picks her phone back up.
"Is everything alright?" Alibaba asks with traces of concern in his voice.

  ---Music: Investigation ~ Opening 2004 ---

Maya answers before I do. "Before anything else, I have to insist that you stop tracking my phone, or my GPS, or whatever else once this Sniffsonian visit is over. It's kind of creepy being followed everywhere!"
"... We can agree to this. But, should we discover anything pertinent, we may need to remain in contact."
"Also, what do we stand to gain with your help? How can you benefit us in our investigations?" I question.
Ailbaba doesn't answer for a few seconds, perhaps contemplating the question. "Considering the nature of our respective searches deal with the same conspiracy, information would be the most appropriate commodity to trade. We've already discerned the identities of a potentially relevant individual or two, and we will wholly collaborate our findings with yours as we continue to try and learn more about what's going on. We can discuss more details at length at your convenience later, but I believe you two have a museum to go to first."
We've made up our minds... for the time being. "Alright, Alibaba. I think we're prepared to work with you. But I have a condition of my own."
"What would that be, Mr. Wright?"
"I don't know anything about your group or their methods of operation, but I have to insist that no laws be broken."
"I think they are breaking a law or two by getting into our phones without our consent in the first place, Nick," Maya points out.
  Good, uh... good point. "You know what I mean. Phantom Thieves or not, there won't be any thievery, or law breaking."
"Aw, man!" a new voice shouts. It sounds robotic as well, but I can tell by the change of tone and inflection that it is another person who just shouted. I'm not surprised other members of this Phantom Thieves group have been listening.
"Quiet, Skull!" I hear another, different voice whisper. I then hear several "shhhh!" noises, as if there are others around trying to quiet down whoever just spoke. I... think I hear what sounds like angry 'meow'-ing from a cat as well...?
???
"My, er, appologies," I hear Alibaba interject into the chaos, and suddenly their end of the phone quiets down. "We can agree to this as well. We have no desire whatsoever to commit any crimes."
I can't say that I'm at ease with any of this, personally. I can tell Maya is on edge as well. I suppose we should have recognized that signing on to work with Alibaba would likely mean working with other Phantom Thieves. And their cat, apparently.
I scratch my head both physically and metaphorically, due to the sheer absurdity of all of this. "Well, Maya... it's about time for us to get a move on."
She's already taken her stance of determination, fists raised and with a confident scowl on her face. "Right! Time for us to go visit the Sniffsonian!"
"Your cooperation is much appreciated, Miss Maya and Mr. Wright. I'll be contacting you once more once I see that you've reached your destination. It would be to your benefits to keep an earbud in one ear in case I do need to communicate with you."
*click*
Well, it's time to roll out to the station to see when the next train bound for the museum will be coming.

---(Music End)---

  April 11th, 1:15 pm
Sniffsonian Museum Entrance

"Wooow... this place is already impressive!" Maya gawks, taking in the sights of the very exterior of the building in front of us.
"This is the Sniffsonian, alright," I read off of a sign outside of the building, which indeed has 'SNIFFSONIAN MUSEUM" spelled out with fancy gold letters of roman characters. In architecture and atmosphere it feels very western.
"C'mon, let's go inside!" Maya leads, grabbing my sleeve and dragging me along with her.
As we get close to the building, her phone begins ringing.

---Music: Ringtone ~ Steel Samurai Theme ---

"Well, we know who that is..." Maya says as she answers the incoming call.
*Click*

---(Music End)---

She puts one of her earbuds in her ear to listen discretely. "Yep. It's Alibaba," Maya clarifies, just like I expected. "I'll keep the call going, and if he wants to say anything to you, I'll tell you."
Not entirely convenient if I can't hear Alibaba directly myself, but I'll have to make do.
As we go, something catches my eye. There's a set of those old coin-operated newspaper boxes, and all of them have the same article on their front pages, an article with Sniffsonian in the title of it. On a whim, I drop a coin in one of them and take a copy. It may be relevant, so why not?
Maya turns around and looks at what I'm doing. "Huh... something caught your interest, Nick?"
Now that I'm holding the newspaper in my hand, I can see the full text of the article. "The Curious Case of Missing Sniffsonian Exhibits," I read aloud.
"Oh, hey, that's an article about this place! Is that today's paper?" she questions.
"Yes, it looks like it. This article is all about a lost painting that seemingly disappeared without a trace last week. It also says that there are rumors about other art pieces which have been taken off display, and how they may be lost as well."
"That's really strange," Maya remarks with her eyebrow raised, "You'd think the authorities would be involved with priceless art disappearing from a famous museum..."
"It says here that the curator has been trying to resolve the issue and has the police involved," I further, "but progress hasn't been made on finding any leads or anything. The Sniffsonian staff as a whole have been mostly quiet on the issue."
"Do they... just not care about their exhibits going missing...?" Maya questions with skepticism.
I read a little further into the article for more details. "It says here that the various organizations and patrons who have donated to the museum are really upset about it. Many of the pieces missing were privately owned and were only able to be displayed because of negotiations and deals with the museum. In the meantime, the museum has been offering monetary compensation to the donors of the missing pieces."
"What a weird thing to read about a museum," Maya shrugs, "How in the world do pieces just go missing, anyway?"
For some reason, I have an uneasy feeling in my gut. I'll definitely be taking this Sniffsonian Article with me in my evidence.
Er, well, in my pocket at least. I guess it's not really evidence if I'm not preparing for a trial, huh.
"Alibaba is asking if you think that newspaper is important," Maya narrates.
I shrug. "You never really know. It's related to this museum, so I figured it might be relevant.
"Well, anyway, let's get back to business. The line is going to get longer if we don't get in soon," Maya pushes.

  April 11th, 1:25 pm
Sniffsonian Museum Atrium

---Music: What's Going On? ---

I would normally be interested in viewing the various exhibits at a famous museum, but we're here for strictly business at the moment. We were handed a brochure to act as our guide, but it doesn't appear to have the information we need on it. Maya turns the pamphlet at various angles while looking at the map it includes. "Yeah, the office isn't listed here. Good thing we asked the tour guide earlier. We know that our destination is on the third floor, near the center of the building. That's where we'll find the curator's office."
The museum seems fairly lively today. There are multitudes of visitors observing, appreciating, and taking photos of the various displays and exhibits as we walk around. Eventually, we find ourselves in what must be the main attraction of the museum: an extremely large and spacious, circular atrium. The room is vast, and with the roof being entirely made of glass, everything is lit brightly by natural lighting.
From what I can see the most popular and interesting exhibits are displayed proudly from the ground floor. The majority of the room is simply open air, with a few exhibits hanging from the ceiling such as airplanes and various modern art pieces. The huge openness of the atrium gives it plenty of breathing room, and I can practically smell the fresh air. Maybe that's where the museum got its name from?
All around the room there are doors and openings leading outward from this room into other parts of the museum. "One of those doors on the third floor leads to the curator's office," Maya explains to me.
  The room is several stories tall, and I can see that the outer edges of the room have stairs for ascending to upper levels. The upper levels are fairly narrow walkways which curve around the perimeter of the room, with smaller and more modest exhibits on display atop these balconies. But from what I can gather, it seems the room has been designed in a way that allows anyone standing on any level to have full view of the entirety of the ground floor and all of the exhibits it houses. I don't think I've ever seen a room quite like this one before.
We've already reached the second floor now, but I can hear someone calling to us. "Excuse me, excuse me, sir!" a voice speaks from behind me. The voice is not familiar, but I feel familiarity because whoever just spoke didn't speak in Japanese.
I turn to see a man in a suit with a beard approaching us with a fast paced walk, extending his arm out towards us to signal that we are the ones he is calling. "Do you speak English?" he asks.

---Music: Strange People (Gyakuten Kenji 2) ---

"Yes, we do," I reply cordially.
A smile appears on his face and he breaths in relief. "You two must be Americans. Thank goodness. I lost my phrases guidebook, and my Japanese is pretty terrible, unfortunately... and I could use some assistance."
"How can we help, sir?" Maya asks him.
"I'm just looking for someone, and was wondering if anyone here has seen him here. I've been searching the whole museum and can't seem to find him."
Perhaps we can be of aid. I've seen plenty of people since I've entered the museum, after all. "Who might that be?"
"I'm looking for someone named 'Hebi Hibiki,' who is supposed to work here," the man explains, "I'm not entirely sure what he looks like, as I've never met him. But supposedly his hair has red and black highlights."
Even without a vivid description, the hair color alone is enough to clue us in on who to look for. "Sounds like hair like that would be impossible to miss if you saw it," I comment.
"Yeah, seriously," the man says, disheartened, "That's why I'm so surprised I haven't seen him anywhere."
I can tell Maya is digging through her memories as she stares off to the side in thought. "Hmm. Nope. I haven't seen anyone like that today. Have you, Nick?"
I shake my head. "Unfortunately not. Sorry, sir."
The man snaps his finger diagonally downward in frustration. "Damn. I've got a really important bone to pick with him."
"Hmm. A bone to pick...?" Maya repeats, analyzing his words.
"Is there any way we can help you look for him?" I ask.
The man contemplates the offer. "Well, if you do happen to meet him, tell him that he's about to make a very big mistake, and that 'a friend of the Director' would very much like to talk some sense into him."
Our conversational partner goes on his way without another word.

---Music: Investigation ~ Opening 2004 ---

"How... peculiar," I mumble.
"Alibaba says you are actually looking for the same person as him," Maya relays to me. I had almost forgotten he is in a phone call with us, listening to what's happening around us. "Hebi Hibiki is the name of the museum's curator, according to what Masayoshi Shido informed him."
Maya turns around and loudly exclaims, "Hey, sir, we're actually looking for him too!" in the direction the man from before left. Unfortunately, he merged into the crowd when he was leaving, and I can't really be sure which way he went.
"'That entire conversation felt rather peculiar,' Alibaba says," Maya informs me, "He's wondering what business that man had with the curator."
That's a rather good point. "Hmm... you are right, something suspicious could be going on here. That man didn't seem like someone random, he was dressed sharply, and he carried an air of someone important."
Maya nods. "If we see him again, we'll have to ask him for more details. My gut's telling me this won't be the last we'll see of him."
  In my notes, I add a profile for Mysterious Man. I keep details on his appearance, his behavior, and leave a note about that strange comment about a director.
"Either way," I speak, "We still need to keep looking."

---(Music End)---

  April 11th, 1:40 pm
Sniffsonian Museum Atrium Third Floor

By now we've reached the third floor, and it looks like the office we are searching for is a short walk across the curved balcony, and in no time we're knocking on the door.
We give it a few seconds. No response. We knock again, and we're returned silence for another few seconds.
There's a security guard approaching us. "May I help you folks?" he asks.
"You may be able to, actually," I answer politely, "We're looking for the museum curator. We wish to speak with him."
"Hibiki-san?" the guard speaks, immediately knowing who we are talking about. "I believe he's attending to various matters around the museum."
That seems normal. I imagine he'll return to his office at some point. "Do you know when he will be back?"
The guard shrugs a bit. "Later in the day, surely. But usually when he goes into his office, he attends to urgent paperwork. If he's coming back here, he surely won't want to be bothered."
"Where else would he likely be?" Maya asks, "Maybe we can go find him on our own before he gets wrapped into his work."
"Most likely in one of the off-limits areas, I'm sorry," the guard apologizes, "But I don't believe he has taken his lunch break yet, at least, not from what I've seen. I bet if you wait around the food court area, he'll run into you eventually."
"Would you mind showing us where the food court is?" I request.
"Absolutely, allow me to take you there now," the guard agrees.
I bow in respect. "Thank you for the help."
With the security guard leaving the way, Maya and I move towards the food court.

  April 11th, 1:50 pm
Sniffsonian Museum Food Court

We've played the waiting game for a while now. Hopefully it won't be too much longer until the curator arrives. The security guard stayed to eat, as I suppose he had decided to take his lunch break as well.
As he gets up after finishing his meal, I can't help but notice the guard seems to be jittery, and looks uneasy. "Is everything alright, sir...?" I ask with concern.
As he responds to me, I can hear clear hesitation in his voice. "Er, yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask...?"
I try and sort the thoughts in my head. So far, Maya and I have run into at least two out-of-the-ordinary things about this museum. First, apparently there are missing exhibits. Secondly, there is a mysterious man looking for the curator just like we are. This has me thinking... well, worrying, rather. I know that we came here for the purpose of meeting the curator, and hopefully having him give us the pearl that Shido told us about. My concern, however, is that all may not be as it seems on the surface here at the Sniffsonian. I need to stay prepared for any kind of complication that could hinder Maya and me, and on guard for any kind of trouble we could run into. To that end, I can't help but feel very uneasy at all of the odd circumstances surrounding this place.
"Pardon my rudeness," I apologize, before leaning in to whisper to the guard so that no one else can hear, "But is there something suspicious going on with this museum?"
I tried to keep the question as open ended as possible. Depending on how this security guard interprets my question, I may get some insight into whatever abnormal is happening at this museum.
He sweats a bit. "Oh, not at all! There's nothing suspicious going on here!" he replies, almost in an argumentative tone.
My vision darkens, and the area around the guard goes black, so he is the only thing I see in front of me. I can feel the warmth of my magatama in my pocket, and suddenly I see silver chains erupt out of thin air, wrapping around the man tightly. On those chains, locks appear! I count one, two... three red Psyche-Locks...!
Bingo! This security guard knows something, and he is keeping a secret. I have no clue what that secret could possibly be, so I'll just have to use what I do know and try to learn more about this museum. With any luck, he may even mention that strange pearl we are after.
I take out my Magatama and grasp it within my hand.



  -- Something Smells at the Sniffsonian --

---Music: Psyche-Locks ---

"Nope, no way, no how, there's nothing strange or abnormal at all here at the Sniffsonian!" the guard reiterates.
I shake my head. "I don't think that's true. I think something very strange has just happened recently, in fact! And I have evidence to prove it!"
I'm lucky to have kept that Sniffsonian Article with me, because now is the perfect time to present it.



With a sound not unlike glass breaking, one of the psyche-locks shatters into pieces as the guard stares at me in wide-eyed surprise. That's one down, two to go. I'm a little bit closer to making this guard loosen up on keeping this secret so he can tell me what he knows.
"That's, er... well, ok. You've got me there. There are some crazy rumors going on about our museum. But that's all they are, rumors!"
Ok. So I need to plan out a route to attack from. What could this secret be? What is it I'm trying to prove?
That would have to be something about the curator, if I narrow down my line of questioning to something I know to be suspicious of.
"Mr. Guard, I'd like to ask you about the museum's curator, Hebi Hibiki. I think something suspicious may be going on with him."
"Is that so? Why is that...?" the guard asks, and I can tell by his voice that he is speaking cautiously.
"According to this article, the staff here haven't put much effort into these disappearances. Doesn't that strike you as strange...?"
"Well, I suppose it is a bit... but, it's not like anything was stolen, or something. They've probably just been misplaced or something."
Close, but no cigar. The locks aren't moving. I'll have to put a little more pressure on, and perhaps come up with some sort of evidence to back up my argument.
"What is it you are exactly trying to ask about the curator, anyway? I don't get why you are asking me all of these questions."
Hmm... he makes a good point, that I need to have a little more direction with my approach.
"I'm asking you if the curator has gotten involved in anything sketchy. Perhaps, something that could be drawing the interest of other parties."
"What do you mean by that? Who else would be interested in the curator?"
Here we go! I present the profile I wrote notes for about the Mysterious Man.



"Earlier today, we encountered a strange man in a suit who was looking for the curator. He seemed to have urgent business with Mr. Hibiki."
*!*
"Who... who could that be...?" the guard mumbles to himself uneasily, before wracking himself with worry.
  Another lock crumbles into shards and disappears into the darkness. One Psyche-Lock left.
"Mr. Guard, is there anything at all you can tell me to explain why a mysterious man is on the lookout for your boss? Does it have anything to do with the missing exhibits...?"
"I... can't really tell you. I don't even know who you are, or where you came from. How do I know you aren't after him yourself?"
'After him' he said... what could that possibly mean? "Is the curator in some sort of danger?" I ask urgently.
  "He will be if I keep running my mouth! Just forget that we talked about any of this, ok?"
  Somehow I've made things even LESS clear.
I... er... you know what? I think I've actually hit a wall here. I don't have anything else in my possession, physically or mentally, that I could use to press any of these issues further. He's barely answered any questions yet he has opened up a hundred more. I don't know if I can keep going with this line of questioning without more information or evidence...

---(Music Fade Out)---

The pitch black nothingness surrounding the guard fades out slowly, and I'm once again aware of my regular surroundings. I'm back in the food court. I may not be seeing it anymore, but that Psyche-Lock is definitely still there, keeping this guard's secrets chained up.
I hear a new voice speak to us from off to the side of where we are standing. The voice sounds rather flamboyant. "Excuse me, what exactly is going on here?"

---Music: Elegant ~ And Excellence ---

Maya, the guard, and myself are approached by a man dressed from the wrong century entirely. He looks like an actor who just finished performing a role in the play Hamilton. His red suit is stitched elegantly and parts at his waist into a tail coat, and has black pants and socks which raise to just under his knees. On top of it all, he's even wearing a powdered wig with a ponytail which slithers back and forth as he walks. The wig is primarily white colored hair, but it has two cylinders of hair on each side of his head, one colored red and the other black.
"Excuse me, sir," Maya announces, "You seem to have dessert rolls stuck to your head."
"I beg your pardon!" the man gasps, thankfully more surprised than offended, "My young lady, this is my peruke!"
"Your what?" she asks, clueless.
With his eyes closed, he shakes his head and clicks his tongue a few times in disappointment. "Mademoiselle, I will have to educate you on the finer points of high fashion. But, that may be saved for yet another day. For now, I return to my original inquisition: what is going on here, my dear sirs?"
"Hibiki-san!" the security guard speaks, startled. He immediately kneels down on one knee and crosses his arm across his chest to formally bow.
"What was your name again? It's on the tip of my tongue, mister... mister... Yuri, was it?"
"Yurui Kuchibiru, Hibiki-san!" the guard introduces in a way that suggests it isn't the first time he's had to remind his boss his name.
"Ah, yes!" Hibiki cheers lightly with a snap of his fingers. "Mister Kuchibiru! I do recall you having been stationed on the third floor to make your rounds... or am I mistaken...?"
The guard speaks fast and frantically. "No, not at all, boss! I mean, sir! I'll be returning to my post right away!" he announces, and begins scurrying away.
I... don't... entirely know how to process what it happening right now. But, out of respect, I bow in a similarly archaic fashion, leaning forward and crossing my arm to my opposite shoulder. When in Rome, right? Or, rather, when in Japan. But, more like, when in 18th century France...? Ah, forget it.
  "Mr. Hibiki, it is a pleasure to meet you," I greet cordially. Maya sees me and follows along.
"The pleasure is all mine, miiiisteeer...."
"Wright. Phoenix Wright," I introduce myself with a smile, "I'm visiting Japan temporarily, but I have business with which I would like to speak with you."
"Ah! Of course. Say no more, Mister Wright," he replies pleasantly, grasping my hand between both of his and shaking it enthusiastically. "I am heading to my office on the third floor right at this moment. If you would please, would you follow me, and we can speak there?"
"As you wish, Mr. Hibiki," I comply. He begins happily marching along with Maya and I in tail.
"Nick," Maya whispers to me, "How in the heck do I explain to Alibaba what is going on?"
"Let's worry about explaining later. Once I figure out what's going on..."

  To be continued...

  ---(Music End)---

  ---Music: Jingle ~ That's All For Today ---

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