The bedroom door slammed open and his heart stopped at the sight of Adachi holding Souji in a chokehold, a gun to the teen's head. He didn't even have a moment of reprieve at the sight of the gun being a toy, Adachi raising it and pulling the trigger. A shot rang out, a bullet firing into the ceiling. It was a modified gun?
Adachi didn't look like Adachi anymore―it was like he was staring at an entirely different person. His eyes were empty, and his voice was dark and smooth as he hissed, "So, now you know not to do anything stupid here."
He felt Nanako clutch at his shirt, crying and screaming in confusion. He subconsciously moved her behind him, and felt his fellow officers helping to cart her out of danger. He felt terrible leaving her alone, but he was frozen in place, emotions running rampant through his body at a pace he couldn't process. Adachi was holding his nephew hostage... Adachi... the one who saved his life, was holding his nephew hostage... Tohru Adachi... was the one behind everything. Tohru. Adachi. He didn't realize he'd curled his hands into fists until he felt his nails leaving marks.
Hamasaki had stepped forward, gun raised at the two. She was just as angered as he was.
Adachi grinned. It wasn't goofy, it wasn't kind. His smile was empty. The man he thought he knew was gone. Adachi clicked his tongue dismissively, tapping the gun against Souji's temple. "You don't wanna do that, Takara-chan."
He saw Hamasaki tense, her shoulders almost creeping up to her ears. She lowered her gun slowly, and he could her the fellow officers whispering amongst themselves in disbelief.
"Adachi? He actually―"
"I can't believe it―that tip was real...?"
"I thought it was going to be a prank or... or something!"
The murmurings fizzed out as Adachi spoke again, his voice commanding the room, "You―" he nodded at Hamasaki, "and Ryotaro can stay."
Dojima felt a chill shoot down his spine at being referred to by his first name.
"Everyone else has to leave, or Souji's little head is gonna pop. Are we clear?" The empty grin curled into a sickening smile, as if Adachi suddenly found this all amusing.
Nobody moved to start, as if they were waiting for an opening. Adachi's grin slowly fell with each passing second. His heart felt like it stopped again when Adachi's finger twitched on the trigger. Hamasaki lowered her gun and motioned the rest to leave. Souji's eyes looked glossed over―almost like he wasn't there. Dojima swallowed a lump in his throat―Adachi and Souji both looked like dead men walking.
"Don't forget to close the door behind you," Adachi chimed in craning his neck to watch as the last officer reluctantly left the apartment. There was a flicker of a light in his eye before it faded away, nodding towards Hamasaki and Dojima. "Gun on the table now. Hands behind your head. I don't have all day―my arm's getting tired here."
Slowly, Hamasaki walked over to the table by the couches and slid her gun on top. Dojima slowly brought his hands behind his head, interlocking his fingers. This was happening. This was really happening. He couldn't believe it...
Adachi stepped forward, pushing Souji along. The teen moved like a zombie, so much so that Dojima wasn't even sure if he knew what was happening anymore. With a couple more steps, Adachi nodded towards the couch, pausing to raise an eyebrow at Dojima's cellphone.
"Takara-chan, put that on the table too, won't you? Any fancy moves for your gun, and you know what happens, so don't even try it."
Hamasaki's face was set in stone as she obliged, picking up Dojima's cell and sliding it on the table next to the gun before locking her hands behind her head.
Adachi let out a low chuckle, "What a good girl, following rules. Now, both of you, on the couch."
Dojima had to step past Adachi at this point to reach the couch. They looked at each other from a side-long glance, Adachi's stare boring into his soul and sending another horrifying chill through every nerve in his body. It was like he wasn't human anymore.
The storm outside started picking up as Adachi slowly maneuvered him and Souji around to the other side of the table, backs to the TV. And―like a sudden jolt of electricity―he remembered telling Adachi about the spare key in the potted plant outside the house. He was on the other side of town and needed Adachi to pick something up from the house to bring back to the station. It was a one-time occurrence, and yet... Adachi was the one that went to the house and pushed Souji inside the TV that night. He was assigned as Mayumi Yamano's guardian when she disappeared. He escorted Chie home at Dojima's insistence...
As he stared Adachi holding his nephew hostage, gun to the teen's head and back to a TV that would lead them to another horror-filled world, Dojima felt it all click into place at once. It was all Adachi. The man that that saved his life―the man that always had a dumb smile on his face―the man that spilled confidential information―the man that said the wrong things at the wrong times in what seemed to be acts of idiocy―the man that he had called a friend... was the murderer. He was the kidnapper, the murderer, the mastermind of it all.
As he stared into Adachi's dead eyes, he wondered if he really knew the man at all.
The storm outside raged on, the wind picking up and rain hitting the window so hard it almost sounded like gunshots to his nerves. The thunder was even worse.
"Adachi... Dont. Don't do this... Please," He heard himself say, voice cracking. Hamasaki didn't move at his side.
A light suddenly came back to Souji's eyes, and he saw the panic embed itself on his nephew's face, and he attempted to struggle. Adachi's dead stare was quickly filled with annoyance. He looked over at Hamasaki through the corner of his eye, and he caught her stare back. Maybe they could overpower Adachi while he was trying to-
Another gunshot rang out, and he heard the sound of glass shattering. Souji had stopped struggling, and another grin was plastered on Adachi's porcelain face. Then, it all happened in the blink of an eye―reinforcements kicking down the door and Adachi throwing himself and Souji into the TV. He caught Souji's panicked gaze before they dipped away into the screen and out of existence.
The apartment was filled with a buzz of confusion. He could hear the officers yelling and murmuring, asking what just happened―did they just go through the TV?! Someone said it was a trick of the light, they jumped through the window. Their mumbles and theories jumbled into white noise as Dojima looked at the giant TV screen, playing Nanako's cartoons as if nothing had happened, as if nobody just waded through it.
"Dojima-san..." He felt Hamasaki's hand on his shoulder, but he couldn't move. "Dojima-san... Let's... Let's get you back to Nanako-chan, ok? She must be so scared. C'mon now."
He felt her lift him up off the couch, could feel her trembling hands on his back as she held his weight to help him stumble out of the apartment. She gave instructions to a couple of the officers before they headed to the parking lot, Nanako sitting in the backseat of a cop car with another officer keeping her company. Residents were filing out in concern, mumbling and trying to catch a glimpse of the scene, some brave souls even going up to ask what was going on, only to be turned away.
When she saw him approaching, Nanako bolted from the car, crying harder than he'd ever seen her cry. He pushed himself away from Hamasaki to meet Nanako halfway, dropping to his knees in the soaking parking lot as she sobbed into his shoulder. It felt like the rain was sinking into their bones as he held his daughter as closely as he could.
He'd left her alone with Adachi so many times. To know what he was capable of... what he'd done... it made his gut twist into a thousand knots. He was going to be sick.
He couldn't sleep. The rain was pouring even harder, or, it felt like it was. It drummed against the windows as if to taunt him. There was nothing he could do.
Hamasaki had brought him and Nanako to her house to stay until things got settled. Having Miwa there to distract Nanako was welcome, the girls silently colouring in books until they fell asleep. Miwa was a bright kid. She knew something was wrong, but didn't press Nanako into answering. How long had it been since they'd fallen asleep? Even Hamasaki had retired to bed possibly hours ago.
He sat up on the couch he'd been given as a bed, his movements sluggish and drained. His head swam with a million questions and concerns. Was he going to find Souji's body strung up on a pole in the morning? Was he going to find both his and Adachi's? A flash of lightning lit up the room, and Dojima stared out into the ongoing storm. Slowly, almost as if being pulled by a string, he stood up, dragging his feet to get his coat and shoes. His hand froze on the doorknob. What was he doing?
There was another flash of lightning, and he could see himself barely reflected in the small mirror hanging on the door. It was like he was looking at a ghost. Then, something turned on amidst the sound of the rain. There was another flash of lightning and he could see the Midnight Channel reflected in the small mirror. He turned the doorknob and stepped outside.
Cold hit him like a truck, and he wrapped his arms around himself. His legs started to move. He didn't know where he was going, but he started to walk. A fog was creeping low to the ground, and it felt like it was crawling up his skin and into his blood as he continued his aimless trek. There were no sounds past the raging winds and the roars of the thunder. He couldn't even hear his teeth chatter as he kept walking like he had some destination. It was as if something was pulling him along and he was simply along for the ride.
It was hard to see past the rain. It was blotting out his vision and blurring the surroundings. He thought about turning around, but he couldn't. He was scared of the Midnight Channel. Scared of what he would see. It must have been gone by now, but... what if it wasn't? What if a horrifying image stayed on there just to haunt him? He didn't know if he could handle that. Not right now.
He needed a drink. That's what this walk was for. He was going to drink so much he'd forget his own name. He'd drink so much he'd go back in time and none of this shit would ever happen. He was already on the path to the shopping district―at least, he could only hope he was; the street lights weren't helping much in the storm. No matter, he pressed on, ignoring the cold that seeped into his bones and the fact that he couldn't feel his face anymore.
It felt like both eternity and a single second before he saw distinct lights from the gas station. Almost there―just one more corner and he'd be drinking until he forgot the world existed. He stopped before the crossing at a sight of an attendant. Despite the limited vision and the heavy rains, he could almost see the attendant clearly underneath the stations' roof. He saw them wave him over, and, as if compelled, he walked across the street and underneath the roof.
"You must be crazy to walk out in this weather," the attendant laughed, casually putting their hands in their pockets. Dojima huddled up, eyeing them over. They weren't even shivering, despite being in a t-shirt and jeans.
"Want me to get you a coffee? Free of charge―it'll warm you up, at least," they continued, haunting red eyes boring into him from under the brim of their hat. "Your car break down? What's so important you had to be out here in this storm?"
"I..." His voice caught in his throat. "I just... I need a drink."
The attendant laughed again, "Sorry, man, it's closed. Nobody's gonna stay open for one guy in this kind of storm, not even that Junes place."
Dojima chewed on his cheek, hugging himself tighter as he leaned against a gas pump. He found himself stripped of any energy. He wasn't sure if he'd make it back to Hamasaki's place in once piece. He barely noticed when the attendant leaned towards him, studying him up under their gaze.
"I think you came out here for more than a drink, you're just too scared to admit it."
They paused, a smile on their face as they waited for an answer. He couldn't come up with anything past his chattering teeth. Their smile grew and they continued, "You're related to the kid that went missing a couple months ago, right? I remember offering him a job when you guys stopped for gas. Glad to hear he was found safe and sound."
He grit his teeth as much as he could, glancing away from the stranger, digging his nails into his sleeves. He thought he saw their smile grow even more complacent, despite a haunting tone in their voice, "He is safe, right?"
He shut his eyes, and turned to start walking away. Coming out here was a mistake.
"Getting drunk won't save him!" They called after him. "You have to help him yourself, Dojima!"
At the mention of his name, he looked over his shoulder wildly. The gas station was empty. The lights weren't on and there was nobody there. He blinked slowly, shaking his head in dismay. Had he just imagined that, or was that real...?
He looked back to the station, which was still empty as he made his way back down the street. It was like he was being pulled along a string once more―he blinked and found himself outside the junkyard. He remembered Yosuke's panicked texts, he remembered when Souji jumped into the TV at the station and Dojima had reasoned he'd appear back here. He stepped into the heap, lightning striking and illuminating the broken TV near the curio cabinet. There was no image on the screen, past a distant reflection of himself.
He kneeled to the TV, staring into the empty screen, half-expecting Souji to come flying out. He waited, but nothing happened. No Midnight Channel, no Souji, no Adachi, just... nothing. He slowly lifted a hand, remembering the fear and confusion when Souji showed him his strange TV-warping powers. As if being urged, Dojima brought his shaking fingers to the screen, eyes widening in surprise as they dipped through.
He didn't have his gun.
What would he do? What could he do?
He hesitated, his hand hovering inside the screen. Souji survived. Souji survived three times in varying states. All Dojima was was cold and afraid. He had the means to help his nephew. He could go and try. Souji deserved him to try.
Closing his eyes, Dojima took a deep breath, the action warming him up just a little bit, before he pushed himself into the TV.
And then he was falling.