Template:Joker Story
NOISZ STΔRLIVHT
Chapter 0
| In Chapter 0.IV, Joker suddenly wakes up in a tank filled with fluid, unable to escape, and panics. Beyond appears, and Joker demands she be let out. Her cries are ignored, and Beyond puts her back to sleep. |
Chapter 1
| In Chapter 1.IV, Joker is awakened after viewing a fragment of a dream, which is erased by Beyond. She accuses her of not being the real Beyond, who claims "Beyond" is a declaration of intention. Beyond then asks her where STΔRLIVHT is. |
Chapter 2
| Continuing from the end of Chapter 1.IV, in Chapter 2.IV Joker claims that STΔRLIVHT is dead and begs to be released, saying there's nothing left to see. Beyond, unsatisfied, resolves to continue her investigation and sends Joker back to sleep. |
Chapter 3
| In Chapter 3.I, Joker dreams of the beginnings of their plan, though is unable to remember what exactly their plan was. She notes that once they began they couldn't know what it was, and that she will have to throw herself away to protect her friends and the truth. She wonders if they knew she would feel this way, but knows it's too late to know now. She releases the memory and it fades, leaving Joker to another dream once again. |
Chapter 4
| At the end of Chapter 4.IV, Joker disparages the events that she just witnessed, claiming that even if they did happen, neither her or Beyond would remember. Beyond admits that the events she saw were an extrapolation-the likeliest explanation of what happened. Joker asks what they even saw, and what Beyond was trying to do at the end. Beyond admits she'd like to know too, but notes they can't risk contamination, and puts Joker back to sleep. |
Chapter 5
| At the end of Chapter 5.I, Beyond notes that Joker is ultimately hiding the truth she seeks from her. Joker claims otherwise, saying whatever she was trying to was a failure and begs to be released again. Beyond counters by saying they can easily tell when the past she shows them differs from reality, and that she too will soon have to face it-the reality that she died two years ago. She tells Joker that though she has nothing to return to, she can still change the future when she admits who she is. Joker claims to be Arietta Antiphon, that STΔRLIVHT is dead, and that this is her punishment for her betrayal. Beyond tells her not to say things like that, and asks her to at least believe in herself.
In Chapter 5.IV, Beyond asks Joker what happened after the Clash of Twilight; she claims STΔRLIVHT lost the vote like she wanted and went to fight Gaius Antiphon. Beyond questions this, noting they had no reason to be there as far as they knew, but Joker is certain this was the truth. Beyond reveals she knows how she hid the truth from her; by editing herself out of her own story, she's denied herself and her fate, and what's left is no more then a dream. Joker asks how she even knows this, to which Beyond says she knows who Joker really is. Joker calls it ridiculous, saying she remembers her life as Arietta Antiphon. Beyond questions how she completed high school after the incident in the Antiphon Building's basement, which Joker cannot answer, but knows she interned during her last year and was brought on as an accountant. While she doesn't know how, she is certain that they're true, as there is no way to rewrite someone's memories. Beyond notes this cycle is lost anyways, and asks "Ari" to tell her of STΔRLIVHT's final battle. After viewing Dead End, completing Chapter 5.I again sees Joker returning to the point where the data interference began. While she questions what she'd seen before as true, Beyond tells her it isn't her place to decide that. Joker asks her why she didn't try to put her on the right path before. Beyond explains that bringing her back was a long, painstaking process; every scrap of truth brings Joker closer to oblivion, and if she dies again, they no longer have the time to try again. Joker asks why she'd cooperate with her; Beyond claims her original self is pushing her forward, to fulfill the promise she made. Joker admits she feels compelled to move forward, but also wishes to stay in the cycles, afraid of what's to come. At this point, Beyond asks her if what she'd seen before was truly real. If the player selects yes, Beyond will begin preparing the final cycle, and invites Joker to find the truth with her. If the player says no, Beyond will start the cycle again, telling Joker to show her her true reality. |
NOISZ STΔRLIVHT True Heroes
Chapter 5 (TH) & -1
| In Chapter 5.I of True Heroes, Producer, reading the email for the Clash of Twilight, feels as if her and the rest of STΔRLIVHT's roles are ending. Unwilling to stand by and do nothing, she calls STΔRLIVHT into her office and tells them what she believes is Beyond's true goal; killing Gaius Antiphon to prevent him from destroying music. While Grace and Sumire are willing to do it, Sera and Hakuno are more hesitant. The latter two leave the office to practice, with Producer fearing what the news has done to their bond. Sumire assures her their bond has faced worse, and Grace suggests that Sera may agree to the plan if they can find something that proves they can defeat Gaius. Producer reveals her dreams of STΔRLIVHT fighting Gaius in the Antiphon building's hidden lab, and agrees to speak to Beyond about finding the lab.
After witnessing Hakuno discover the supposed phone connecting to Beyond is merely a prop, Joker questions why they needed such a convoluted plan. Beyond finally decides to show her the beginnings of their plan, and the role she played in it. In Chapter -1.I, Joker witnesses how everything came to this point; the incident in the basement with the portal to the World of Music. As she does, she is interrupted by Seiryu, seemingly vengeful for Joker supposedly sending STΔRLIVHT to die against Gaius. Seiryu then moves to attack Joker. When Joker defeats her, Seiryu returns to her true form as Sera, telling her not to blame herself for what happened. Joker then continues into the world of the past. In Chapter 5.II, Producer and Beyond have conducted a plan to sneak into Antiphon R&D to find the secret lab. Producer is suspicious of Beyond's co-operation, considering how Beyond wishes for STΔRLIVHT to lose the competition. Beyond assures her she is on Producer's side, and warns her not to let anyone die before the final fight. Joker relays Beyond's information to Grace and Sera, and provides them with Beyond's keycard to enter the lab. In Chapter -1.II, Joker sees how Arietta and Beyond Antiphon used the NOISZ to collect energy from Noise Beasts to restore their bodies and the damaged barrier between worlds. However, Gaius eventually learns what they are doing, and moves to retake the NOISZ to separate the worlds instead. Arietta, Beyond, and Remora begin planning a way to reclaim the NOISZ, despite Arietta and Beyond's bodies beginning to fail. Joker is once again interrupted by another NOISZ Beast, Byakko. Byakko says she wanted to live, and so did the rest of STΔRLIVHT, and attacks Joker. After the fight, Joker attempts to claim responsibility, but Hakuno appears instead to assure her she isn't the kind of person who'd let STΔRLIVHT die like that. Joker, while still confused about her role, is still reassured by Hakuno's words, and continues onwards. In Chapter 5.III, Sumire enters Producer's office and asks to speak with Beyond. Producer agrees, and dials Beyond, noting how the phone isn't plugged in. Before she can speak with Beyond, Sumire takes the phone from her, and Arietta takes control of her body once more. After Sera and Grace's proposal, Producer watches an interview from Gaius Antiphon before returning to social media to attempt quelling the upset fans. However, she sees posts about Hakuno rather then Sera and Grace, and discovers that Yashiro has outed Hakuno to the press. Unsure of what to do, she calls Sumire and tells her about the situation, asking for help. Sumire tells her she'll speak with Hakuno about it, and Producer returns to handling the news. In Chapter -1.III, Joker sees how Arietta's plan started coming into motion, beginning with a dream of STΔRLIVHT defeating Gaius and becoming the strongest NOISZ users after she, Beyond, and Remora save them from a Noise Beast attack at HI-LIVE. After Arietta verifies the group's existence, she, Remora, and Beyond go to their HI-LIVE performance to verify if Arietta truly saw a vision of the future. Like before, Suzaku interrupts, claiming that Joker and Arietta are one and the same, and that Arietta's crimes are still hers, and like the others, attacks Joker. After the fight, Joker attempts to claim she and Arietta are the same, but is interrupted by Sumire and Hitori saying she isn't. Sumire suggests the outcome may not be what she thinks it is, but Joker is is unnerved by what inevitably comes next; the part she plays in their plan. Aware that she is approaching the point of no return, Joker is unsure if she can keep moving forwards. In Chapter 5.IV, Producer suddenly appears in the Antiphon building as Grace enters, warning her that if she continues, there will be no going back. Her sudden appearance causes Grace to realize the nature of the world as a simulation of the past. Joker tells her it isn't too late to go back, reminding her of the time she spent with Sera. Despite this, Grace refuses, and seeing no other options, the two duel. As Joker is defeated, Grace assures her the reason she was able to was because Joker had wanted to continue down this path. Now ready to face what lies ahead, she tells Grace she'll forget the recent events in order to keep the simulation accurate. The two bid farewell for now, Grace assuring Joker that STΔRLIVHT is still with her, and wish each other luck on their missions. In Chapter -1.IV, as Joker attempts to return to the past, she is stopped by Genbu, standing before her. Joker now understands the true nature of the NOISZ Beasts she faced; the locks she placed to hide the truth. She demands Genbu let her pass, but Genbu says she'll decide for herself if Joker is strong enough to continue. As Genbu turns back into Grace, she reassures her she had always been strong as Joker realizes why she had been running from the truth for so long; to relive her days with STΔRLIVHT again and again. Grace assures her that if she lets go of the past, she'll have a chance to be able to see her real friends again. Joker, wondering what future lies outside her tank, resolves to end the cycles. In the distant past, Arietta and Remora return from the HI-LIVE show, now certain their vision was true. However, this also means that Alpha, the entity possessing Arietta, will fake her death and escape in the future. Unsatisfied with this outcome, the two begin planning to find a way to defeat Gaius with STΔRLIVHT and keep them alive to finish off Alpha. Unable to find a way through without using the Final Burst, an attack that will end with the user's death, Arietta asks Remora to make her a fifth copy, claiming there's someone who can do the job. Arietta speaks with Joker, asking her if she'd like to become a real person for one year. She would take Arietta's place in the world, but once her year is up, she will die. Joker agrees, knowing about the situation and wanting to know what being a "real" person is like. Arietta is unsurprised, but is sure Joker will hate her when she dies. Regardless, she says she'll tell Beyond and Remora to set up their plan, and Joker notes they won't be able to speak like this again. Arietta confirms this, but says she looks forward to meeting her again as Producer. |
