Welcome everyone to the first chapter of Fools' Justice. As a rule of thumb I save the author's notes for the end so read on and let me know what you all think of the first chapter.
Chapter 1-Red and White
November 13th,2017, Metaverse…
Oddities, that was really the only way he describe the Phantom Thieves of Heart. Each and every one of them somewhat broke the stereotypical mold society had placed upon them, not that it was a bad thing. Matter of fact, Goro actually found it made each member of the team charming in their own odd way. Not that he'd ever tell any of them that, not that any of it would matter in the end.
First off there was Haru, the team's resident rich girl and heavy arms master. On first glance it wouldn't have been wrong to say she was the most feminine of the team, she carried herself with all the proper conduct one would have expected of a child born to high society. At first Goro thought he would grow to hate her almost as much as some of the other rich kids he'd met. He couldn't have been further from the truth. Haru was kind, unfailing kind and remarkable competent, inside and outside the Metaverse. For a girl who just lost her father she was able to stay strong in spite of the trauma and heartbreak. All that wasn't even mentioning how she acted as Noir. Goro was well aware people could hide who they really were behind a charming smile and good manners, he'd done it every day for the ten years. With Haru, a part of him was glad her sadism and inner brutality was confined solely to the Shadows they fought in the Metaverse. Of course he knew one day that brutality would be directed at him when she found out the truth. Deep down Goro honestly didn't relish the thought of killing Haru, but a part of him could accept her killing him in revenge. She had that right and she deserved it for what he'd done to her.
If there was any member of the Phantom Thieves he possessed a heated relationship with it was Makoto. In a lot of ways he both envied and pitied her. He envied her because at the end of the day Sae could always come home to her while he had only an empty apartment. The pity came when he realized how hard she struggled on a day to day basis to keep up her perfect image. Goro knew firsthand how stressful maintaining that facade could be. The difference between them was Goro had his hatred fueling him through whereas Makoto wasn't so lucky. That wasn't saying she didn't have some pent up frustration. Admittedly he'd gone slack-jawed when he witnessed her do battle as "Queen". Watching her ride her motorcycle-like Persona through hordes of enemies, fling atomic fireballs, and break bones and armor alike using her fists. Goro felt an odd kinship watching Makoto work out all her repressed anger as he'd done the same when he'd first awakened his Persona powers. They'd actually bonded over that similarity in rare moments they were alone. Out of all of the Phantom Thieves she was the one he probably respected the most behind Akira. An honor student to the outside world, but a brutal and devoted young woman on the inside. Goro could see why Akira appointed her as the team's second in-command.
As something of a balance between the previous two Ann was someone he wasn't quite sure what to make of when they first met. She'd been ostracized for her mixed blood, something she couldn't control. Goro had been able to sympathize with that due to his own background. The difference between them was Ann had steadily grown a backbone and wasn't afraid to stand up to challengers. In opposition to that Goro had chosen the blend-in route not having the temperament or will to stand up. Hearing and talking to her was somewhat…refreshing. He wasn't surprised to find her Persona wielded fire, fitting as she was a passionate person. Within the short times they'd talked to each other they'd found some common ground in dodging the paparazzi and fans. It was fun exchanging stories with her, her modeling jobs and mishaps and his interviews and fan encounters.
Contrasting to Ann's fiery spirit was Yusuke, a person Goro somewhat made a note to steer clear of. The young artiest had a…interesting mindset, one that Goro wasn't sure was the result of his years of living under a dirtbag like Madarame or if he was just born that way. Still, he often gave Goro some…valuable food for thought. One thing he immediately picked up upon was Yusuke was incredibly blunt when speaking to people, yet at the same time completely ignorant or uncaring of social norms. He had to admit he found it oddly amusing, especially when seeing him interact with Futaba. Deep down he was just a little bit envious of how Yuske was able to go on in spite of the world around him.
Speaking of Ryuji, Goro had to admit, he wasn't quite as annoying as he'd originally thought. Was he a loudmouth who could have taken a class in subtly? Yes. Goro worked with rookie police officers and hotshots less hot-tempered than him. All that aside, Ryuji had one redeeming quality the brown-haired teenager had come to respect-he was loyal to a fault. Bit by bit as they explored the corners of Sae's Palace and Mementos he discovered he and the dyed brawler weren't all that different, as much as neither of them liked to admit it. Yet, there were differences between them, Ryuji had things Goro didn't, things he would have given anything for. In spite of that Goro felt safe trusting his back to Ryuji, and overtime he'd done the same. Goro knew the unspoken trust they'd built up had truly been forged that one summer day he saved him from a mob of rapid fans. No one had ever stuck their neck out for Goro that way, and try as he might he couldn't get the incident out of his head.
"As team muscle watching everyone's backs in part of my job." He once told him wearing a big grin while hoisting his mace atop his shoulders. "That includes you, big-noise."
"Actually no, Skull, that's my job. Your job is finding the bad guys and gonking them on the head. My job is watching everyone's back." Futaba had cut in with her chirpy voice.
Goro remembered the childish argument the two had gotten into while he stood there smiling to himself. He'd never been around people like this, people so open with each other and him.
Futaba was one of the people he'd felt pity for, then he came to like her. Despite being a hikikomori Futaba was quite lively and quick-witted. He supposed those traits were always there, but her mother's death and the subsequent treatment by her family pushed them down. With help from Akira and the others the girl had started down the road to recovery. Though she was zany and as unversed in social norms as Yusuke and Ryuji she possessed a certain charm Goro had picked up on. That, and her being an open nerd made it somewhat easy for the two of them to talk to each other. Never in all his life did he think he'd be able to talk about his "nerdy" hobbies with someone, especially someone whose life he'd indirectly ruined. Every time Futaba smiled at him he felt an odd mixture of joy and nausea. It only got worse at night when he went to sleep and the guilt he'd kept bottled up for two years came rushing back to him. Like with Haru, he knew it was entirely possible Futaba would want to end his life once she discovered the truth. He wouldn't hold that against her.
Perhaps the oddest member of the bunch was Morgana. When Goro had discovered the Metaverse he'd been exposed to a great many things. Some of them were horrifying and surreal while others simply left him feeling awed. Morgana was in the latter camp. A talking cat was one thing, a talking cat that transformed into a near cartoonish humanoid creature that could summon a Persona and fight was simply pushing things too far, yet he'd seen Mona with his own eyes. The fluffy blue-eyed cat had been a reliable ally and somewhat mentor to all of them. His comedic crush on Ann and constant bouts with Ryuji aside Goro would have gone to say he was one of the more mature members of the group. He'd raised the team from nothing, taught them, mentored them into becoming the heroes that had taken Tokyo by storm. Goro didn't know whether to commend the feline or hate it, most days it was both. Over time he'd come to realize like everyone else the cat had grown on him.
Last but not least there was the enigmatic leader of the Phantom Thieves, Akira Kurusu, Joker.
He was the closest thing Goro had to a best friend, yet at the same time he was the closest thing to a rival as well.
He'd taken a group of outcast kids and turned them into a well-trained and well-coordinated team that had put Shido's organization on high alert. He'd done what had taken Goro years to do, and still there was a part of him that couldn't find it in him to hate the dark-haired teenager. When they'd first met Goro didn't think much would come of him, but then things changed. They kept running into each other, and the more they talked the more Goro began to realize the glass-wearing youth was going to change everything, for better or for worse.
At first Goro didn't want to believe it, but as they'd dug deeper and deeper into Sae's Palace he'd realize the cold hard truth.
For probably the first time in all his life he had someone to call a friend, and if everything went as he planned tomorrow that friend was going to be lying in an interrogation room dead by his hand.
Watching Akira masterfully cleave through numerous Shadows he tried to tell himself it would have been better off that way. He was the team's center, if he died then the rest of them would fall apart so he wouldn't have to go after them. That, or he'd be able convince Shido to wait until after the election to kill them by which point he'd be able to make his move.
Having seen him in battle Goro didn't look forward to a physical confrontation, Akira was strong, but he was still stronger even if he only had Robin Hood and Loki to call upon. Killing him at the police station would be the cleanest and safest way to do things, it'd be less painful for the both of them that way. Granted, he was sure the minute Akira saw his face he'd curse him out. Like with Futaba and Haru he wouldn't hold that against him.
It all comes down to you, doesn't it? Goro thought watching him from a safe distance as he dealt with another wave of enemies. Like him he could solo entire hordes of enemies on his own, a fit Goro had found both irritating and admirable. If we did fight it'd be one hell of a battle. Though I'd win something tells me you'd probably leave me with a few scrapes. I almost wish that's how this could-"ARG!"
It took him a second to realize Ryuji had decked him. He was about to demand an explanation when the saw the fiery explosion light up the patch of ground he was standing on. Shutting his mouth he looked over to find a dark shadow standing before a frozen Akira. He recognized the looping chains and bloodstained button-up coat. The lone overgrown eye that poked out of the hole of the red-stained cloth sack atop its head.
"Shit." He mumbled seconds before the immensely powerful Shadow let loose a horrific wail while aiming its guns at the two of them. Briefly Goro looked down to the panting Ryuji and realized he was out of breath, meaning he wouldn't be able to react in time. "Robin Hood!" The white-clad archer appeared above the two, his bowstring already pulled back with a golden arrow notched. At Goro's mental command the arrow flew directly towards the massive fireball now heading their way. Both teenagers shut their eyes as the explosion lit up the space in front of them.
Akira was upon the two of them almost a heartbeat later. Helping Ryuji up he looked to Goro. "I'm thinking it's time for us to call it a day? Any objections?" He looked to the others who were staring at the howling Reaper with a mixture of fear and annoyance. In almost complete unison the assembled teenagers shook their heads. "Can I trust you to cover us?"
Goro really hated it when Akira put his trust in him, yet he hated himself more for feeling obligated to make sure the red-gloved teen's trust wasn't wasted. In a minute he was on his feet and firing his ray gun at the blood-soaked abomination. His reward for his heroism was a torrent of mammoth-sized fireballs, air blasts, ice blasts, and bullets almost half his size. Keeping his eyes glued to the reaper as he dashed across the rusted ground he counted down the seconds it took the team to load themselves into Morgana's van form.
"Bird Boy! Die! Die! DIE!" The singular eye locked in on him, enlarging to the point Goro feared it would of its socket.
Goro felt his entire body freeze as if caught by some invisible force, one with a vice-grip. Mudoon! He realized glaring at the Reaper. Immediately he weighed the odds the Shadow's attack would work. It had no doubt just arrived and he was only at half-strength so his chances were fifty-fifty.
"Heads up, Crow!"
That of course wasn't taking into account the black and yellow-stripped automobile with eyes slamming into the Reaper at full speed. The invisible force seizing Goro's body disappeared leaving him free to fall to his knees. He sat there, in slight awe as the gun-toting monster went flying several feet before hitting a wall. I've been down here God knows how many times, and I never thought I'd see the Reaper get taken via out car-fu. The young detective thought.
Morgana's side door burst open and out came Ann's face. "Crow! Come on! We're done for the day!"
"R-Right! Coming!" Sprinting towards he jumped into the backset, brushing up against Yusuke and Haru on his way in. The brunette shoved Yusuke aside to reach over and slam the car door shut. "Q-Queen!" He called out to the front seat.
Mere seconds later and they were all moving, speeding down the railway while behind them the Reaper shouted obscure death threats. The sound of gunshots permeated the air around them for what seemed like an eternity before following coming to an end.
"We lost him." Futaba finally stated from up in front of Goro causing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief. "Good job out there everyone, plenty of XP all around."
"As if we needed the extra training." Ryuji groaned wiping the sweat from his brow. "Well, Crow did, I didn't."
"I seem to recall someone still using up all his power throwing lightning all over the place then forcing someone else to cover for him." Ann chirped crossing her arms.
"Hey! I just get a little excited is all!" The team's muscle cried getting defensive.
"We've been doing this for almost a year and you're still acting so childish. Typical monkey." Morgana chirped, his voice resounding all around them.
"Hey! Watch it, you stupid cat!" Ryuji barked kicking the roof of the bus causing Morgana to let out a resounding groan.
"Watch it! Do you want to walk back home!?"
Up in the front Akira and Makoto burst into laughter, which was soon followed by Yusuke and Haru. Ann huffed and looked out the window while Goro merely laid back with a content smile. "I think it's sort of a good thing Ryuji's still his usual self. Truthfully, I think it's a good thing we all still know how to enjoy Mementos when we come down here."
At that the entire group shared a brief collective chuckle realizing Makoto was right. Despite the tension they still needed time to themselves to relax. Unlike most kids their age they simply found relaxation to mean beating the ever loving crap out of the dark manifestations of Tokyo's population.
"Are you feeling okay, Akechi-kun? Not to be rude, but you have been spacing out a lot, ever since we came to Mementos?" Haru asked leaning over.
"O-Oh, y-yeah. Sorry about that, I-I've just had a lot on my mind lately. Sorry about the inconvenience everyone. I'm just a little…jittery about tomorrow." Like that he caused the mood in the van to do a complete one-eighty. Behind the wheel he saw Makoto's body tense up. "It's nothing really. I'm just over thanking things."
"In that case just be like Ryuji, think less." Morgana offered.
"Hey! Do you want me to kick you again?"
"Children, no fighting in the Phantomobile." Akira spoke sounding a lot like a father disciplining a pair of kids. Morgana and Ryuji grumbled to themselves but none the less stopped before thye could even get started.
"I still hate that name, just for the record." Morgana grumbled.
"I like it though," Haru purred.
"So do I, it's got a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" Ann added rubbing the sifrs of the door resulting in Morgana letting out an elongated purr of content pleasure. Said purr resulted in the entire van seemingly vibrating.
"I still don't think I've gotten used to that part." Goro whispered to Yusuke who'd whipped out his sketching pad.
"I actually think it's quite enduring. I've taken to attempting to capture moments like this so we'll have them to look back on." The blue-haired teen smiled. Turning around his sketchpad he showed Goro a pencil and paper drawing of all of them fighting off Shadows. It always amazed the detective how calm and collected Yusuke could be the heat of battle, not to mention focused. His drawings resembled something of a Shonen manga fight scene or old painting.
Goro would have liked to have kept one of those pictures for himself as a reminder. If he had though, it would have become just another moment to his history of bloodshed and betrayal, one that likely would have killed him every time he looked at it. Feinting sleep he laid his head back and listened to the idle chatter of his teammates. It was fun while it lasted, I…really started to like you guys. Maybe if I'd met some of you a few years sooner…things could have been different.
When he next opened his eyes they were all back in the real world, standing in the park amongst the shadows of a handful of trees. The mid November air was cold sending a slight chill through all eight teenagers and their feline company. Several of them looked up the sky to see the former gray sky had now turned multiple shades of red and orange.
"Heh, look at that. Seems like we made it back for one hell of a sunset." Ryuji noted stretching his arms and legs. "Talk about luck."
"It is quite the sunset. I'd like to paint it if I could." Yusuke spoke looking almost mesmerized.
"Then go do it." Akira shrugged. "We all know tomorrow's a big day, for all of us." He ethnized looking over his entire team with steely eyes. "Everyone has the rest of the day off, use it to rest up."
Even before he'd joined the team he'd enough time watching everyone to know where they'd be heading. Ryuji had mentioned earlier he was going to go meet up with some old track mates. How he found it in himself to associate with the same people who'd turned their backs on him was beyond Goro, but that was a riddle for another time. Ann had a photo shot she quickly ran off to. Haru had a meeting with Sojiro, something about teaching her how to brew coffee while Yusuke hurried off to find a vintage point to paint the sunset. That left Makoto, Goro, Akira, and Morgana, who'd made himself at home inside of Akira's bag.
Akira walked over and placed a hand over his teammate's shoulder while looking over at Goro. "Sae's lucky to have to a pair like you two, and you two are lucky to have a team like ours backing you." Both brown-haired youths looked to each other then to him in shock at his brazen comment. In his bag Morgana giggled a little knowing where Akira was about to take the conversation. "A little sister ready to put her life on the line and a partner ready to put his career on the line, just wish I could tell her that without worry of being carted off to jail."
While Goro couldn't help but laugh Makoto bowed her head in solitude gratitude at her teammate's attempt to cheer her up. "T-Thanks Akira, I guess I kind of needed that." She turned over to Goro. "Thank you for everything you've done to get us this far, Akechi-kun. I…kind of hate to say it but, we wouldn't have made it as far as we did if it weren't for you."
They probably never would have made it pass the first level of Sae's Palace. They sure as hell never would have accumulated enough points to prove to Shadow Sae they deserved to be taken seriously. "I'm just doing my part as member of the team and as Sae's partner," He stated giving them the same charming smile he gave everyone. "I will admit though, I'm actually eager to see Sae's Palace disappear myself. Being competitive is one thing, but to the extent that Sae-san's taking is…" He wanted to say it was understandable. In truth he wasn't that surprised when they came upon Sae's Palace; Goro knew how she'd arrived to the conclusion that winning was all that mattered in life. The winners were the ones that prospered while the losers had to wallow in their misery. "I'm just thankful you all let me in on this little adventure. I've had a lot of fun."
"You know the fun could still continue," Akira leered.
"He's got a point, we made it pretty far thanks to you." Makoto added fixing him with a smile.
He wanted to say yes, but in order to do that he'd have to throw away everything he worked towards for the past two years. No matter how much Akira and the others had grown on him he couldn't do that. "Sorry, but we all have our paths we must follow. You guys have the road of thieves and I have mine own. It was fun, but after this I'm afraid we'll diverge."
Accepting his answer Makoto looked towards the walkway. "I'm…going to go head to the library. I need to go research some things. I'll see you guys tomorrow."
Goro was ready to leave as well, and he was about to, but Akira had one last thing left to say. "You free for the next hour?"
"Come again?"
He tried to read the expressions on the Phantom Thief's face, but he was coming up with a blank. It was as if Akira was hiding something from him; that immediately put Goro on guard. "I was thinking you and I could spend a little more time together. You've been really stressed out the last few days."
"Have I?" He feinted. No thanks to you.
"Yep, I know it's a little late, but I had an idea. Have you ever gone fishing before?" The black-haired teen said placing both hands in his pockets.
"Fishing?"
Shameful as it was, in all his life Goro had never once gone fishing. Though he'd dreamed of it for years he'd never found the time to go down to a pond or fishing hole, grab a fishing pole and just enjoy himself.
Yet another childhood wish fulfilled, thanks to Akira. Goro wanted to believe that would make blowing his brains out easier.
The Ishigaya Fishing Centre was relatively deserted by the time they got down there. The chilly weather had no doubt played a part in turning people away, something Akira might have counted on. After releasing Morgana into the surrounding bushes for some private exploring the two boys had rented their fishing poles, found am isolated spot and sat down side by side. Before them the sun had begun to set turning the water a myriad of bright colors that sharply contrasted to the cold gray and black that was the Tokyo skyline. With their fishing pools in hand the two lost themselves to the almost mesmerizing calm the fishing center was able to induce in them.
"It's a shame we can't take any of these home, I got a feeling we'd be able to make some pretty tasty sushi." Akira laughed reeling in his fifth catch.
"You know, I was trying to hold off until tomorrow, but coming down here is really making me reconsider pigging out." The brown-haired teen admitted. It had been a while since he'd watched the sunset, matter of fact Goro realized he hadn't watched it since he infiltrated the team. "I kind of always wanted to go fishing…with my…parents."
"I always wanted my parents to take me to the zoo." Akira offered. "Never happened because he wasn't exactly a big fan of animals. Truthfully my dad's one of those office types, the kind that likes to spend all his time indoors."
"Think you'll be able to convince him to keep Morgana?" The older of the two questioned.
"If I can get my mom to warm up to her then I'll be home free." He responded without a care in the world. Knowing Akira, he probably already had a plan to convince his father to keep Morgana. "Was you mom fond of animals?"
Something in Goro tugged, like a strand of hair being pulled. With years of self-control under his belt he was able keep himself contained and respond in a way that didn't arouse any suspicion. "No, she had a habit of feeding birds, but I don't think she had a thing for animals. If she met him she might have made an acceptation for Morgana seeing how well-behaved he is." A brief smile came to his face thinking of how his mother would have reacted to the blue-eyed cat. "I believe she told me my father liked dogs. They were loyal and obedient…doing everything they're commanded to do. He likes creatures that do as they're told."
Akira kept his eyes forward as well, his own turbulent emotions swirling around inside of him. "Is that why you're going to kill me?"
Goro let go of his rod the second he processed the words. His eyes went as wide as the moon and his mouth froze in a straight frown. Internally he was as screaming his head off, banging against invisible walls and tearing at his hair. Akira reached over and caught his fishing rod before it could slide off into the water. Goro's gloved hands twitched involuntarily as did his eyes.
A full minute of silence between the two passed before Goro's red eyes snapped to Akira. Gone was any calm or joking attitude-all that remained were anger, shock, and even fear. "How?"
Akira didn't waver under the fierce glare his supposed teammate was giving him. "Pancakes." He answered calmly.
"What?"
"You heard me, pancakes."
"Is this some sort of joke?" Goro snarled fighting off the desire to wrap both his hands around the younger boy's neck, public appearances and plans be damned.
"Use your head and you'll get the picture. If you're really as smart as you like to act then you'll realize where you slipped up." He fired back.
Goro racked his brain around every event involving him and the Phantom Thieves. His first thoughts were of denial, there was no possible way he'd slipped up enough to give himself away. Memories of the last five months flew through his head like a news reel. He went over the entire thing several times before he was able to slow down and focus on one event in particular. Focusing on the word Akira said he recreated the mental image in his head until the answer hit him right in the face. No. He thought staring ahead at the water like a deer caught in the headlights. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!
Damn, of all the ways to get busted it had to be that one. I guess you can't trust food after all. A snide and mocking voice cackled in his left ear.
Even though it was probably the last thing he should have been doing, Akira smiled. There was a special sort of glee he caught in catching the young detective off-guard every now and then. Sure it may have been counterproductive to his goal and even condescending, but the look on Goro's face was simply too much to pass up.
Another minute passed before Goro was able to collect himself. He took back his fishing rod and threw the lure back much further than he had before. "What now, Joker?"
Well, time to see if I'm a great a charmer as everyone thinks I am. He thought inhaling deeply through his noise. Looking down at his watch he realized he had almost thirteen minutes to convince Goro to open up to him. Thirteen, great, as if my life wasn't enough of a cliché. "I'd like the truth. You plan on selling us out tomorrow, don't you?"
"…You're the only one." Cold as ice Goro looked at him with eyes nearly devoid of any kind of emotion. There was one there, a mounting anger that resembled a kindling fire. If the wrong word was said it would ignite into a raging flame. "If I kill you then I won't have to kill everyone else. Ann, Makoto, Ryuji, Haru, Futaba, Yusuke, and Morgana. If I kill you the rest of them will lose their motivation and won't be able to keep going. I'll be able to convince my superior there's no reason to go after them."
"I see." Akira nodded reeling a potential catch back in. "Then you're stupider than I thought."
A flash of hot anger flew through Goro's eyes. "What?"
Akira kept his gaze focused on the water as he tried to reel in his next catch; despite that his voice was every bit as firm and powerful as it was in battle. "You're an idiot if you think killing me is going to break everyone enough they'll just call it quits. If you really knew us you'd know we've come too far to stop, if I die fine, but I know everyone else will keep fighting in my place." There was tug, but Akira's pull was greater. A decent-sized carp he added to his pile. "Besides, if you kill me the rest of the team would hunt you down, would you be able to kill them too?"
"I've killed enough people already." Goro responded darkly. "What's six more and a cat?"
"Then how come you kept spacing out? It's hard to picture, isn't it? Killing someone isn't easy when you know the name and personality behind the mark, is it?" The Wild Card responded.
Goro got a bite but chose to let it go. His hands were beginning to tremble. "You don't understand a damn thing, If I don't have to kill Sae and the others then I won't, but unless I get them out of the way somehow then they're going to end up facing people a whole lot worse than me."
"So you're doing everyone a favor?" Akira snorted.
"Would you rather have them grieving in their homes or each of them getting a visit from men in black then their bodies turning up somewhere like a sewer?" Once their eyes locked a battle of wills erupted between the two. Neither teenager was willing to back down.
Akira shut his eyes in annoyance and rubbed the bridge of his noise through his glasses. He was short on time and he couldn't waste what time he did have fighting with Goro. If push came to shove there'd be plenty of time for that later. "Look, I'm just asking for the truth. I know you're too smart and just decent enough to be doing all of this just for shits and giggles."
The orphaned teen's glare didn't cool down, if anything it actually intensified. "You don't know a damn thing about me."
"I know you're doing all of this for your mother." It was just the blow he needed to crack a hole in Goro's defenses. His eyes went wide for a brief second before narrowing again. His entire body spoke of barely controlled anger he was sure the detective was fighting to keep under control. It was without a doubt the angriest he'd ever seen Goro. "You told me…your mother was abandoned by some no good man, and if you could you'd do anything to make that man pay for what he did to her. I knew right then and there you weren't joking, not with the look in your eyes, trust me, I've seen it before. Whoever is behind this, whoever you're going after, was killing all those people really necessary? Was killing Haru's father really worth it?"
There was an edge in Akira's voice, true anger was finally beginning to break through. "You have no idea what or who you're up against, do you?"
"Then explain to me, Goro." Akira snapped finally feeling his patience come to an end. He was tired of playing this little game. "Who is it you're working for? Who's the one masterminding this? Who's the one who really set us up?"
Fully turning to face him Goro's face was dark and ominous. He didn't look like a teenager, instead he looked almost like a doomsday messenger. "The man who set you guys, who ordered me to kill Okumura, the man who's had me running around the Metaverse as his personal lackey is the same man who got you put on prohibition and is on his way to becoming Prime Minister of Japan." And the same one that railroaded YOU into my life! Into MY plan! His voice was a hair's breath away from becoming a shout, but he didn't care. Now was his chance to let out some of the pent up anger he'd held for the knife-wielding Persona-user.
"What? The hell are you…" The words slowly died in his mouth as the pieces came together in front of Akira. The night almost one year ago came back with stunning, painful clarity. Now it was his turn to go wide eyed and let the rod stumble from his hands. The bloodied bold face he'd stopped glared back at him, only his face didn't have a trail of blood streaming down it, it now had a pair of orange-tinted glasses. Remembering Goro's prior comments he continued to piece the dots together until the horrifying picture was on full display. He looked Goro square in the eye and said the only thing he could to summarize the situation. "You have got to be fucking kidding me. Shido? Masayoshi Shido? The same douche bag running for Prime Minister? The one who cheated Ryuji out of an elevator?"
"Yes, you-wait, what elevator? Gah, never mind. Yes, that Shido, that man is the leader of the conspiracy out to kill you and the others and my superior." The brown-haired teen clarified looking greatly agitated. "Get the picture now? You're going up against a man with almost the entire country backing him, both the masses and the political system. You've got as much a chance of beating him as Morgana does at dating Ann."
Shaking off his shock Akira returned the assassin's glare. "And you do? Is that why you became his lap dog? To get close enough to kill him?"
"I don't want to kill him, I want to destroy him, I want to break him." Never had Akira seen a person's eyes shine with more murderous intent than in that moment. It was actually so off-putting he felt the desire to distance himself from Goro least he lash out at him. "Everything I've done, every life I've taken and ruined…I'll pay for it, but after I've robbed that man of everything he holds dear. In case you're wondering that's the invisible empire he's built while the people of this country have been sitting on their asses listening to his every word like a kid hearing a bedtime story."
Akira sat in silence somewhat stunned at the revelation. He was expecting something big, but everything from Goro's tone and words spoken conveyed the how deep a hole he'd dragged everyone into. All this time…we were running around, poking the lion's foot, and we went and woke it up. A stream of mental curses ran through his head as he clenched his teeth. "So…you're willing to sacrifice us all for revenge? Really noble, Prince Detective." Like an angry child Goro looked towards his stack and made a move for it. It was clear the conversation was over. "Wait!"
Seeing Akira grab him by the arm Goro felt an immediate desire to smack him into the water. His eyes more than conveyed the feeling. "Let go."
Akira knew right now was the make it or break it point. He either shot for the goal and succeeded, or missed and opened himself up to a world of hurt. "Fine, revenge, I can understand that. But do you think Shido is going to let you live when all of this is over? You've killed people for him, you're his bastard son. He's going to kill you."
"I'll stop him before he gets that far."
"Is that really a gamble you want to take?" Akira challenged, his own eyes darkening. "Goro, I know you're a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them. We both know what kind of man Shido is. You know he's not stupid enough to trust everything to you, don't you?"
The edge came back, and it was sharper and hotter than ever. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"You've been planning to betray Shido from day one, if everything you've just told me is true. From the sounds of things he's become no better than a crime lord. You're a detective, you've worked with the police on gang cases. You know how people like that think." For a hot second Akira really thought Goro was going attack him, if he did they were going to have a hell of a time explaining this to overseers. "I know you don't want to kill the others, you don't want to kill Sae, what I'm asking is we keep doing what we've been doing."
"Which is?"
"Partnership." For the first time in a while Akira saw Goro's eyes cool down and his body posture unwind. "You want your father to pay for what he did to you and your mother, I want my name and the team's cleared. You may not think those two things line up, but I do. We can both get what we want, and we can both walk away from this with our lives."
Finally Goro sat down, though his gaze was still like a razor. "What are you getting at? Why the hell should I keep working with you? You know everything. If anything I should just kill you now and tell everyone the Conspiracy got to you."
"That's just it, if you killed me you'd have to kill everyone, then you'd be facing Shido, alone."
"I've succeeded until now, all by myself. What makes you think I can't go the rest of the way alone?"
Upon hearing that sentence Akira's eyes softened considerably. If anything the look he was giving Goro now was almost one of pity. "Because if you do that you'll be killing the only people who ever gave a damn about you besides your mother. How are you ever going to face Sae having killed the only family she has left? Is that something you think you can live with?"
"You'd be amazed what people can live with." The brown-haired Persona-user fired back in a near snarl. Despite that Akira continued looking at him with pity, it only made him even angrier.
Perhaps instead of getting angry you should actually stop and listen to what he's telling you, asking of you. A firm masculine voice boomed in his left ear.
"You already hurt Haru once, how much more are you going to make her suffer?" Akira asked in a soft and even voice. For what felt like the hundredth time that day he watched Goro's eyes go wide and his face falter. "I've seen the way you look at her. That guilty look every time she helped you or covered for you. Same thing with Futaba. How much more are you going to hurt them before they can get justice?"
A shut jaw and trembling eyes were the leader's answer. Behind his red orbs Goro was internally debating, the primal fury was gone. All the guilt and doubt he'd shoved to the back of his mind and locked behind an iron gate was slowly trailing out, and he didn't know how to stop it.
"I'm asking you this because enough people have already died or gotten hurt so far. I can tell, rather you admit it or not, you've gotten attached to us. You can say it was an act, but I know what I saw. If you go through with this…I can't promise you this isn't going to end with all of us lying in a pool of blood in Mementos." He took off his glasses and looked out towards the water. There was probably one minute left. "You can hate me if you want, but I'm asking you all this because, I honestly don't want to see you die."
"Because you pity me?" Goro said with his mustered up spite.
Sighing he looked his supposed rival in the eye, his dark grey meeting Goro's blood-red. "You're not the only one who's had the crap kicked out of him by society, and just because you can do something alone doesn't mean you have to."
Goro didn't say anything else, not until one of the shop keepers came over and told them it was time to close up for the day. Together the two boys gathered their things and headed for the exit. Before leaving they decided to get their collective haul weighed.
"Heh, twenty-three pounds, not a bad haul." The shop keeper weighing their fish exclaimed. "Well boys, you just won yourselves an hour of free fishing the next time you chose to stop by."
The two traded a brief look before giving their thanks and leaving. A few minutes later and they were aside the gates. From the bushes Morgana came racing out, quickly making himself at home in Akira's bed. Poking his head out he looked at Goro with calculating eyes.
"So…" Akira began.
Goro's eyes expression was unreadable. While the aura of anger he'd previously possessed had faded he still looked at Akira like a potential enemy, one whose fully capabilities he couldn't decipher. "I'll give you an answer by midnight tonight." He stated in a voice devoid of any sort of emotion.
"And we know you'll keep your word how?"
"You don't, you're just going to have to trust me." He answered in a deadpan manner. His eyes went back to Akira. "Do the others know? Was this all part of some plan?"
"No…at least I didn't tell them specifically. I wanted this talk to be one on one." He said patting Morgana's head. "See you tomorrow." Turning his Akira was almost ten feet away from Goro when he turned his head backwards. "Hey, were you ever able to go to zoo?"
The question caught Goro off guard and for several seconds he was slow to respond. When he did there was a faint light in his eyes. "Once when I was eleven."
"Did you enjoy it?"
"…Yeah. I did."
With his question answered Akira departed taking Morgana with him. Goro didn't move from his spot even as the two faded from sight. From his pocket he withdrew his phone, checking it he found no new messages had come up nor had he missed any calls. Somehow he had a feeling Akira was telling the truth about their entire conversation being private. He really had passed the ball into Goro's court and even turned his back to him.
At last the brown-haired assassin began to move in the direction towards his home. Above him only a few rays of sunlight peeked out, painting a handful of red streaks across the dark night sky. If Goro looked hard enough he could almost picture red rays as streaks of blood flowing across the ground.
So there you have it, the point of divergence is Akira offering Goro an olive branch, and giving him a reason to take it. I'd like to imagine if they ever were alone together Akira would punch more holes in Goro's plan than he could count, everyone else seems to. Now I know this is all might just be wishful thinking, but this whole story really is a "what if" scenario where Goro actually stops and thinks how his actions are going to play out.
Joker-Yes I'm using the manga name, mostly because it's the name that's just stuck with me. Plus in the context of the story it fits better. There's a specific reason as to why he chose to talk to Goro here and now which will be elaborated on later. As the secondary protagonist he's going to be getting just as much spotlight as Goro will.
The Phantoms-This chapter started with a brief summary of how Goro felt about each of the Phantom Thieves. By this point Goro's spent almost five months watching them, inside and outside the Metaverse so he's learned a lot about them and formed a personal opinion on each of them. It's pretty much a given by the time of the Casino Heist the team's grown on him, of course that's also part of the problem as Akira pointed out and capitalized on. As previously mentioned Akira's the focal point so Goro thinks if he eliminates him he won't have to go after everyone else, in his own way that's mercy and the best case scenario.
