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True Rebellion (Knight & Wing)

KnightofLight

KnightofLight

Super-Earth
Joined
Apr 4, 2021
Ren Amamiya made a deal with the devil. Except his devil was 'god'. There was some sort of poetic justice in that he felt. Lavenza had called to him not to make a deal with Yaldabaoth and yet he'd agreed. Not because he wanted to be famous or widely loved. Not because he thought he couldn't win. He did it because he thought he could trick god.

And it worked.

He had made the deal and the voices faded out. The world was warped around him. The Grail granted wishes and he'd had a specific one. It warped the nature of their deal beyond even Yaldabaoth's perception he guessed. He fell through a void, or it felt like it, until he crashed into himself. Eyes snapped open and he was on the road. A walk to his university. Shujin University. A ways from his old home but this was his new home. His home with the Phantom Thieves. Pulling out his phone he checked the date. April 11th. He knew this place and knew what was going to happen. The rain started falling and he darted for a covering. He wasn't going to be the only one there. He'd been too shy back then to say anything but this time? This time things would be very different. Ren dashed under the awning where he came into sight of a familiar blonde who didn't know him at all.

It was a natural progression from there. Kamoshida, in all his glory, tried to convince her to ride with him but they had been talking. She didn't want to ride with Kamoshida so it was easier to blow him off when she had someone else to talk to. The conversation was light and casual but that only pissed of Kamoshida more before he took off. Ryuji, true to form, dashed under the awning right on time. It wasn't hard to integrate him into the conversation. From there it was a hop, skip, and a jump over to the alley on the way to school where they were pulled into the Metaverse. Old him would be freaking out on the inside. To Joker this was old hat though. But here came the crux of the matter. Some things still happened in the right order. He could feel the power there in the Metaverse but it was locked. It would remain so. They all needed to awaken at the right time after all. And they needed to get to the dungeon to awaken as well as meet Morgana. Things would be different but not overly so.

"Welcome to my castle," Kamoshida's shadow said to the three of them "I see you brought Takamaki with you. Interesting. I've already got one here who is so much better. Maybe this one will be more fun to play with."

The Metaverse Ann, the one Kamoshida had brought into this Palace, was there. Dressed skimpy as ever and allowing herself to be casually groped by the disgusting professor as he looked the real Ann in the eyes while the shadows had spears pointed at them.
 
"I... What?" Ann stared with a mixture of surprise and disgust playing upon her features, her hands clenched into tight fists at her side as she stared at the open show of depravity and pride before her. "Is this how you see your students? Nothing more than playthings?" The blonde stepped forward, heedless of the pointed spears aimed at neck height as she glared daggers back at Kamoshida. Ruiji quickly stepped in and took hold of her wrist, tugging just hard enough to hold her back from stepping right into the jagged barrier in front of them.

"Whoa, hold on there-" the delinquent called out to her.

"How dare you, Kamoshida... I swear I'll make you pay, not just for what you did to Shiho, but the rest of the volleyball team as well. You think you're some kind of king? You're the king of scum, that's what, and its high time someone took you down!" Ann declared boldly.

"What could you three possibly do, other than get yourselves executed?" Kamoshida laughed right in her face, his fingertips digging into Metaverse Ann's soft ass, "You have no power here, here in my Castle. You think you can stand up to adults when you've barely become adults yourselves? Do you know how many years I've worked to build this? You're so naive, I could almost cry... The world doesn't belong to powerless upstarts like you, it belongs to those who have worked and achieved far more than you could have even dreamed. What's wrong with enjoying the fruits of my labor?"

"No... I'll tear it down, brick by brick if I have to!" Ann's eyes sharpened, just as a blaze of fire surrounded her.
 
It was only natural for Ann to have a reaction like that. She'd had one much the same when she'd come in here in the first go around. Now it was earlier but had much the same effect. He stepped forward when she seemed to get aggressive. There were hints of fire around her but she hadn't awakened yet. Probably couldn't fully since he wasn't. Maybe he was over thinking that. It didn't matter. Kamoshida was laughing at her and he smirked. This was going to be a rough play but it was one that was needed.

"No, it doesn't need to ggo down brick by brick."

His voice was cool and collected as he moved beside the two partners and looked at Kamoshida.

"He's worked hard to get his medal. Now he can just coast on it. Why work hard again when you'll never attain glory like that again? You've peaked already Kamoshida and now you're grasping onto whatever straws of fame you can hold. Isn't it sad that you have to resort to exploiting students because you can't do anything for yourself."

He pointed casually at the shadows around him.

"But go ahead little king, throw a tantrum. I'm sure it'll make for an amusing image."

Ren looked towards Ann and Ryuji.

"Please, trust me."

He stepped forward.

"Go on then, what say you little king? What punishment could you possibly have for us? The dungeons?"

Kamoshida was practically boiling. He shoved the false Ann away who managed to stay on her feet but seemed so utterly passive that she did nothing beyond that. The adoration for Kamoshida never left her eyes. She was a hollow doll and even Kamoshida had to know that. He growled and said nothing having been goaded as he was. A wave of his hand and the shadows moved in to push them towards the dungeons. The dungeons where everything would start going right.
 
"I don't have time to bother with you sorry lot, to the dungeons with you, until I can find a suitable way to... Re-educate you," Kamoshida growled, waving his arm to his guards as the group was forcefully pulled into the dark, shadow-filled underbelly of the Castle, "Perhaps it will give you some time to reconsider."

"Damn it-" Ryuji pounded his fist against the unrelenting stone wall, "I wanna punch that asshole's face in... But first we gotta get ourselves out of this mess, eh?"

Ann had been placed in the adjacent cell and stood right next to the bars, out toward the hall where the sounds of pain echoed in the distance, "What is all this... Its clearly not the real world, right? Have we dropped into some sort of nightmarish copy of our world? What's going on?"

"Hell if I know," Ryuji shrugged.
 
The group was led off. There was no point fighting back at the moment given they didn't have their powers but it wouldn't be long. All of them were led down but Ann was put in the adjacent cell. Ryuji and him were put in the same one as Ryuji punched the wall. Ren looked down at his hands. They had handcuffed them because this time was a little different. Ren stared at the chains for a long moment as the two spoke. He felt it welling up in him. It was getting closer.

"It's not the real world. It's the Metaverse."

Ren looked up at Ryuji.

"Think of it as a place where whatever someone with sick twisted thoughts imagines becomes real. Evil thoughts made manifest. This is Kamoshida's mind at work."

He looked back down at his chains.

I am thou, thou art I. Once more shall we break the chains and defy even God themself!

He strained against the handcuffs and slowly they cracked. He grabbed his face and felt the reassuring flames there. The heat of his power returning. Ren reeled his head back in a burst of light.

"Arsene!"

The dapper Persona appeared and severed his handcuffs causing the guards stations outside to become very alert. They turned to look in his direction. They found Joker staring back at them. He snapped his fingers and pointed at them. Dark energy manifested at their feet and consumed them as Arsene lashed out. A quick swipe from Arsene and Ryuji's handcuffs were gone. Joker smirked.

"Come on, we can't stick around here the whole time."

"What the hell..."

Ryuji couldn't contain his surprise nor was it expected as Joker picked the lock on the cell door and moved to unlock Ann's. All of this while in his comfortable thief attire and mask rather than the casual clothes he had just been wearing.
 
Ann could not help but stare in surprise, not just at what Ren had done, but the accompanying change to his attire. It was not long until the door swung open for her, the metal hinges creaking as it turned. She gave him an uneasy look, a bit of flush rising to her cheeks as she smiled, "Lookin' good, Joker..."

"Joker?" Ryuji blinked, his hands tucked into his jeans as he stepped out to join them, "Who the hell is Joker?"

"Oh... Sorry," Ann giggled, mostly out of embarrassment.

"Hey, you seem awfully familiar with all this," Ryuji glanced over at Ren, "Whatever... Well, if this place is made out of Kamoshida's twisted brain, then there's sure to be some clues about his other victims. Let's memorize their faces so we can talk to them once we get the hell out of here."

"You're taking this pretty well, Ryuji... You know, everything considered," Ann remarked.

"At a certain point, you just roll with it rather than try to work it out... Makes things simpler," Ryuji shrugged.
 
Ann seemed struck by what he was wearing. That brought a little smile to his face. She'd always told him she liked the look of his outfit. Now, without her knowing him, he could see that she did. She told him that he was looking good.

"Joker huh," he said "I think I like it. Call me Joker here. Better if Kamoshida doesn't know our names. Well, he knows yours Ann but I don't think he knows me."

He opened her cell and cut the cuffs off her. Joker looked her over.

"You alright?"

She proved to be as she spoke with Ryuji. He looked around and then had Arsene do some work. It wasn't hard for him, enhanced as he was, to cut metal. He handed a bar of steel to Ryuji for him to use as a weapon. For Ann, however, he knew what she preferred and there was nothing here for that. So he handed her a metal rod as well.

"Don't worry, the realization will hit like a truck tonight probably. For all of us."

Joker cracked his knuckles as Arsene disappeared.

"Come on, let's get moving."

Without missing a beat he moved to lead the Thieves. At first he was taking care of shadows with deftness and ease. Every attack graceful as he dodged a strike then took them out with one strike. All while he was leading his two companions to their third companion. Morgana would be in the cells up ahead. Or at least nearby.
 
"In that case, we should probably all have code names," Ryuji hummed, trying to think of some suggestions as they went.

It didn't take long for them to find their feline companion, a look of surprise on his face when three armed students rushed down the hallway toward him.

"Whoa... I knew they were special, but how did they... Nevermind that," Morgana shook his head.

"Wow, its a talking cat... How cute," Ann stopped and knelt down as she beamed down at the diminutive creature before her.

"Ahem... My name is Morgana, and if you follow my directions I can help you escape. Just be extra careful and try not to draw attention," Morgana cleared his throat, "Here, let me show you how its done... Sneak in the shadows, become one with the darkness, and you'll catch your opponents by surprise."

"Can we keep him?" Ann turned to Ren.

"I'm not a pet!" Morgana growled.
 
Morgana was already on the way. Of course he'd broken them out. In the previous time he'd done the same but Morgana found them a little later while he didn't know what was going on. This time he very much did. Joker chuckled a little as Morgana growled.

"He's not a pet. At least, last time I checked pet's don't carry weapons."

He gestured towards Morgana's scimitar. Either way it was fine. He crouched a little and held out his hand.

"Pleasure to meet you Morgana."

He waited and the cat shook his hand as best he could. It was strange knowing how this was going to go before it was done. But it was what it was. He got back up and cracked his knuckles.

"No need to wait, let's go. Time to show them what a phantom can do."

Not a Phantom Thief, that term wasn't there yet but he could plant the seed now. He moved ahead with Morgana and got them on the right track. Things would be a little different this time but it wouldn't be long before Ryuji became Skull for the first time. Ann becoming Panther, however, he wasn't sure how that would go.
 
The cat smiled and accepted his gesture.

"Phantom?" Morgana blinked, then smiled, "Oh, you're just trying to get into the right headspace."

The four assembled continued down the long corridors, the number of Shades increasing as they went, until they ran into a particularly tough customer. Ryuji's grip on his iron bar tightened, his teeth clenched as the fiery aura surrounded him. "I've had enough of people like you, like Kamoshida, standing in my way... You think you can just push people around because they are weaker than you, is that it? Well, to hell with a world like that. I'll stand up and prove that I can hold my own against any dumbass like you!"

"You made me wait quite a while. You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact. Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc...? The "other you" who exists within desires it thus... I am thou, thou art I...There is no turning back...The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!"

"Let's go, Captain Kidd!" Ryuji called forth, the visage of the mighty sea captain atop his vessel sliding out to greet him.
 
The four together. It was starting to feel like a real raid on the castle now. Of course it was no such thing. Instead this was going to be a rather plain attack and escape plan. They still needed to come to terms with what was happening. And that Morgana could talk in the real world. And could turn into a car. And would need a place to stay. There was a lot to unpack going forward. Thankfully this time he was here to help rather than leaving things to the talking cat. They slipped through the shadows and cut down the shades as they went but Ann and Ryuji did next to nothing. Without a Persona they were just people. They didn't have the requisite strength yet to act. But it didn't take long for Ryuji. He was a simple guy, in many ways, but that worked in his favor. He was a stubborn bastard and if he wanted to fight back he was going to.

Lightning crackled in the air as it blasted one of the shadows. Joker followed it up with a different Persona, Setanta, who stabbed the monster through the chest with his spear.

"Okay, I think we know what your codename is."

He pointed to Ryuji's face and his new outfit. The skull was a clear identifier. He saw Morgana nod and knew Ann would agree. Of course this little moment in time was going ot be ruined. This was the first change. Ann was attacked from behind. One of the shadows had moved to lash out at her while they were all distracted. It didn't try to harm her but tried to pull her. The voice of the mindless Ann clone who Kamoshida made could be heard echoing how easy it would be to just give in. To just let things happen. That Kamoshida deserved everything he was getting. That there was nothing wrong with what he was doing.
 
Ann could feel the Shade's chilling touch, the firm hold of its painful talons. She let out a pained cry, tugging her shoulders as she struggled to pull away. Ryuji quickly dove in, only to be batted aside by a powerful sweeping blow. The blonde shook her head, "No... That isn't me. You're just a twisted construction from Kamoshida's mind, nothing more."

"You want it, don't you? You crave the embrace of a strong man, to be bent to his will... To be used is to be loved, and you desire that most of all," the fake Ann taunted her, fingertips brushing over cheek, her thigh.

"NO!" Ann shouted, her voice echoing through the hall, "I refuse to live in a world were powerful men like him think they can just use women like objects! I'll do whatever it takes to bring Kamoshida down-"

"Forgiving him was never the option... Such is the scream of the other you that dwells within... I am thou, thou art I... We can finally forge a contract... There you go... Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself. Understand? Then I'll gladly lend you my strength."

Ann could feel the power welling up within her, bursting forth in a fiery blaze as her persona materialized. She quickly called out to her, "Carmen-"

A fiery blast erupted around her fake self, breaking off her hold as she recoiled in fear. Ann quickly turned, taking a moment to look down at herself with a mixture of surprise and excitement.

"Whoa..." Ryuji blinked, clearly appreciating the view.

"A-ann-dono!" Morgana quickly bowed himself in reverence.

"Just call me Panther," Ann giggled.
 
Joker wanted to leap in and act, and he would, but he suspected that she would be able to get out of this without too much trouble. He gritted his teeth looking like he didn't know what he should do as Ryuji was smacked away. Joker inched forward. He wasn't going to charge in. This was her moment. She could make this happen. He believed in her. She growled almost in reply as the fake Ann caressed her. Told her that she needed a strong man to use her. Oh how desperately wrong this fake was. Joker resisted the urge to smile as she called out to her other self. The fire burned and the fake stumbled back. Joker stepped forward as Ann appeared in her garb.

Ryuji stared but Joker just smiled.

"Panther huh? Well then, shall we go on the prowl then?"

He winked at her before summoning Setanta again to stab another shadow that was trying to sneak up on them. Everyone had awakened. It was time to storm out the front gate and reorganize. And he was ready for that as they started moving now with all of them able to fight.
 
"Anytime, Joker," Ann gave him a playful wink, her hand resting on her thigh as she bent forward just enough to accentuate the shape of her hips and swell of her bust. Her hand flicked forward, as a burst of fire lunged forward and enveloped another shade in a intense burst of flame. The team of four had collected, and at an earlier date than the previous loop. Options opened up before them that had been closed before, and cutting through to the exit was an easy enough feat with all of them together making short work of Shadow Kamoshida's minions.

As the metaverse faded away and their usual attire returned, Ann was left with a lingering rush of excitement as she stretched her hands over her head, "Ah... That felt good... I should let loose a bit more from now on."

"Wait... What was all of that?" Ryuji scratched the back of his head, taking a moment to think over what they had just experienced.

"Its an opportunity, that's what," Ann declared firmly, "We need to go back there and show him a lesson. Perhaps if we rough him up a bit, we can get the Kamoshida on this side to see the error of his ways."

"That's a possibility, I guess... But something just doesn't sit right with me about all this," Ryuji sighed.
 
The way she stood accented every curve. It was obvious why Kamoshida wanted her. She was stunning, clever, and she could impossible sultry. Right now, however, he bit his lip and then gave her a smirk. Fire burst out and lashed out at the shadows. Between her fire, Morgana's wind, his darkness, and Ryuji's lightning they couldn't really be stopped. They weren't a proper team yet, even though he could guide them a little bit knowing them better than they knew him, but they worked well enough together for this madhouse. Once they were outside they shifted back to reality.

"It's...hard to explain."

Ren rubbed the back of his head and adjusted his glasses.

"She's right though. If we find his treasure, like Morgana mentioned back there, then we can steal it and make him see the error of his ways."

"Yes, that's right."

And that's when they were going to realize that Morgana was, quite literally, a talking cat in this world. Oh this was going to be good.
 
"Whoa, did that cat just-" Ryuji jumped back half a foot as Morgana's fully feline form sat atop a nearby wall.

"Of course I can talk... I just have to take on this form when I'm outside the Metaverse."

"Does that mean you're really a cat?" Ryuji blinked.

"No! I'm a HUMAN," Morgana quickly corrected him.

"If you say so..." Ryuji shrugged.

"Steal his treasure, hm?" Ann shifted the discussion back to their plans for Kamoshida, "So I'm guessing it is somewhere inside that castle?"

"They are called Palaces, and the Treasure is a manifestation of the Palace master's twisted desires... If we steal the Treasure, then the owner will have a change of heart," Morgana explained.

"That's cool," Ann smiled, "We'll be like real heroes if we can pull it off... What do you think?" She turned to Ren, "We should meet up tomorrow and go back into the Palace to set things right. I don't want to wait around and let Kamoshida get away with any more abuse."
 
"Think of it like this. He could talk there and this is how you see him here. So he can talk here because, well, you think he can."

He sighed.

"Look, things won't make sense for a long time."

Ren, who had brought a backpack that was near empty just for this, knelt down and opened the pack so that Morgana could hop in and get closer to eye level. As he did Ann spoke up and the thought of treasures came up. They were right, of course, but they couldn't do it in one day.

"I think we can pull it off but we have to do it right. We're not action movie stars in there. We're thieves and like any good heist movie we're going to need to scout it out, plan, and then strike with precision. He'll never see us coming."

Ren smirked.

"But hey, we should split after giving each other our phone numbers. Morgana, you can come with me. I've got some extra room in my place."

He smiled then looked towards Ann as Ryuji, still scratching his head trying to make sense of everything, shared his phone number and then headed out trying to make heads or tails of all this..

"Want me to walk you home?"
 
"Like Phantom Thieves," Morgana nodded in agreement.

"Sure," Ann pulled out her phone and Ryuji followed suit, quickly exchanging contact information to make sure they could all stay in contact with each other.

"A spare room, hm? Sort of like our hideout," Morgana jumped into the backpack and stuck his head out,"Let's rest up so we're fresh and ready to head back to the Palace tomorrow, then."

"Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll be alright," Ann smiled.

Little did she realize that the next few days would mark a stark shift, not just what she would spend her free time pursuing, but her entire outlook on the world. Each afternoon she threw herself fully into their excursions, each time delving deeper into the Palace, breaking through each line of Kamoshida's defenses one by one. She had never felt so alive, so free... Yet someone else was still bound, held tight by invisible chains... Considering the only option she could see to free herself from her torment.

Shiho closed her eyes. She could feel the cool air against her face, but felt nothing. She could hear the voices below and around her, but felt nothing. No warmth, no life. Her heart beat her hands trembling as she edged closer, her fingers gripping the railing behind her as she tilted her head back, taking one last breath before leaning forward, trusting gravity to snuff out her life, her broken body and spirit dashed upon the relentless pavement below.
 
"Like Phantom Thieves."

He echoed that and smirked as Morgana hopped into the bag. Ann turned him down but that was fine. It was the offer that counted. She was on a great pace now. As the days went on, with his guidance, they progressed much faster than they had in the original run. Now they could rely on him and on Morgana rather than Morgana alone telling them how things worked. They moved as a team more or less now though they were still a bit haphazard at times. It was good. But today was different.

"Shiho."

His voice was soft and calm as he stepped out onto the roof. He hadn't called Ann for this. She might act too impulsively. He wanted Shiho calm for this. Ren stepped forward.

"I figured out what he's done. I'm working on revealing his crimes. He wronged you. Terribly wronged you. You deserve better and you won't get that doing what you're about to do."
 
Shiho shook her head, his word failing to strike true in her heart, but staying her hand as she stood on the very edge of the school building roof, "You don't understand at all... You can try to reveal them, but nothing will happen. Nothing will change. You can't change hearts so easily..."

"I deserve better?" Shiho looked back at him bitterly, her eyes stained with tears, "No... I deserve far worse. I'm worthless and a coward."

"But... You can do something for me if you want," she turned to look up at the sky once more, "Please tell Ann not to blame herself."
 
"Oh Shiho. You say nothing will change and yet people do all the time. It may not always be the way we want but we can choose to be better. This is what he wants you know? He wants you to feel worthless when he knows you're not. Because if you knew your worth you would stand up to him. You would fight him. And he can't handle that. He's a child who only knows how to throw tantrums. He might be protected today but he won't be forever."

He stepped forward slowly, trying not to jar her, and kept his hands in his pockets.

"No, it wouldn't matter what I say Shiho. I could tell her than and she would blame herself anyways. If you want Ann not to blame herself then you have to come down from there and walk away. This decision only hurts the people you care about and there are far more than you could know. There always is."
 
"Fight him? After everything I have given up while hoping that I could achieve something? You want me to fight him, and then what? Watch as everything I endured, everything I struggled for come crashing down in front of me?" Shiho's sorrow turned to anger as she turned toward Ren, "Look at me! Am I in any condition to perform? You know damn well, hell, everyone in the school damn well knows there's only one reason why I'm even on the volleyball team."

"Ann doesn't know what its like to feel powerless... If she wanted to help me, then she wouldn't have let me suffer alone," Shiho lashed out at him bitterly, "These bruises aren't just from practice... He might be looking at me, but I can tell what he sees is Ann... Ann's body."

"You don't understand how it is, to be seen as an object and nothing more," she shook her head, "You'll never understand..."
 
"I didn't say you needed to fight him. I'm not asking you to run into the lion's den. I'm not even asking you to tell me your story."

He heard the anger in her voice. That was good. Anger pushed her towards him not over theedge. She was furious and telling him things he already knew. Ren listened and then stepped forward again.

"No, I don't understand. But Ann does. Ann knows exactly how that feels. The way people look at her. The things people whisper. The way that guys think that she'll just sleep with anyone or that they can get away with a little grope here and there before she smacks them. She might not be bruised physically but she's dealing with things too. You both are and you two need to lean on each other."

He stepped forward once more.

"You chose to suffer alone Shiho but you don't have to. Ann chose to suffer and believe she's been failing you. She wants to help but she doesn't know how. You haven't told her and she doesn't know how to ask. She didn't tell me any of this. She doesn't know how to put this into words but I've seen it. She cares. She desperately wants to help and she's throwing herself into things she thinks will help because she doesn't know what you need."

He looked Shiho in the eyes.

"So go to her. Talk to her. Cry with her. Fight with her. Just be with her. You'll feel better, she'll feel better, and you'll both be stronger for it both mentally and as friends. I'm begging you to trust me on that if nothing else."
 
Something about his words struck true, the feeble determination that had taken hold of her crumbling before the deluge of words that he poured out before her. Shiho could not deny any of it, not a word... She wanted to believe him, truly. Her expression softened, her hand gripping the handle rail tightening as she pulled herself over and stepped away from the perilous edge.

"Thank you... I guess I just needed someone to hear me," Shiho gave him a soft smile, "I... I don't think we have even properly met, but thank you."

Without pausing further, she stepped past him to the roof access door, turning the knob as her light footsteps carried her to where she hoped to find her friend, and along with them she carried a flicker of hope, hope that Ren had sparked within her.
 
Shiho seemed to listen to him. He spoke and she paid attention. It took a long long moment but she gave him a smile. He reached out his hand as she stepped from the railing. Whether she took it or not he knew she was soon to be gone. Ren turned to her and smiled.

"She's probably by the usual spot near the courtyard."

He called after her as Shiho ran off to go find her friend. Ren considered texting Ann to let her know but decided it would be best to let Shiho say everything. He stayed there on the roof sitting on a chair in one corner and leaning back. It was better this way. He could change things for the better. And it started here and with her. Ren smiled to himself wondering how this would go. He knew the both of them. They would make up and get better. They were strong.

They just didn't quite know it like he did.
 
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