I own nothing. Monika does.

The next morning, everyone met at Leblanc. Since none of the thieves had school that day, it was decided that they would get the rest of the letters of recommendation. The small cafe was bustling with activity as the teens finished the last steps of their morning routine that they hadn't been able to complete before they had to show up for the meeting. Sojiro was kept occupied, producing way too many cups of coffee for the teens. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Sae come in as well, and groaned internally. So much coffee… He may have to establish a limit in case this happened in the future.

Sayori sat at the front counter, leaning her head on her hand as she tried not to doze off. The bags under her eyes were less noticeable, with several other members sporting some of their own. Ann was currently covering her own with makeup, while Makoto and Haru waited for her to help them with their own. Futaba sat at one of the booths, getting in one last power nap, while Yusuke sat across from her, eating a bowl of rice from Leblanc's stash. Ryuji was standing in the middle of the cafe, stretching out his body, still sore from the previous day's Palace visit. There were a couple of small nicks on his face after attempting to shave that morning. Morgana was enjoying a plate of curry, egging the blond on.

Akira had been ready to go to the Palace for hours, so he was currently behind the counter with Sojiro, helping the man keep up with orders for coffee and breakfast. While getting Sae's cup of coffee, he couldn't help but be distracted as he noticed the woman had sat next to Sayori, looking awkward and uncomfortable as she glanced down at the dozing girl. He looked down at Sayori's order for black tea. Do we actually have that…? Akira went in the back, looking in the cupboards to check.

Meanwhile, Sae was working up the nerve to speak to Sayori, rehearsing what she had been wanting to say to the girl for some time. It was difficult, reviewing everything she had learned in the past few days, and even before Sae opened her mouth to speak to Sayori, the woman knew that not all of what she was going to say was going to be just for the girl. Some of the things she felt she needed to say sounded like they would be better expressed to Akechi, or were simple self reflections she had been having.

Meanwhile, Sayori was all too aware of Sae's searching gaze, feeling in that moment like prey being sized up by a hawk. The girl tried to keep herself from acknowledging the woman's presence, feeling much more comfortable in her own thoughts. They had kept her up all night, fueling her nerves until she could hardly concentrate on anything else, though all the things in her outside environment seemed to scream out to her in warning, becoming deafening and overwhelming. It was in times like these that she missed her small, boring home, where there were less people, and less things going on.

The girl didn't even notice as she accidentally grabbed the wrong cup when Akira served her and Sae their drinks. Sayori drank the coffee in three or four big gulps, gagging as it burned on its way down. Was black tea supposed to taste like that? She didn't know. She didn't care. Sayori had only wanted something new to drink, as she didn't drink coffee because it made her more hyper and anxious, and she didn't want to drink hot chocolate, because she wanted something to help her wake up…

No matter what, she didn't want to drink the same type of tea that Goro had seemed so fond of. Thoughts of him after last night's talk at the Palace had been what had kept her up at night, and with the plan for today being to secure the group's infiltration, Sayori knew it was only a matter of time until they saw him. She didn't feel ready to face him, even though she had to be. What were any of them supposed to even say to him? What if he hated them and didn't want to listen?

Panicked thoughts of what Sayori would do were put on the backburner as a scent that she didn't like at all filled her nose. She finally looked over at Sae, who had slid the cup of what must have been the woman's own drink under her nose. The woman was currently looking down at her nails nervously, but she was pretty obvious with her head slightly inclined towards Sayori, stating with body language that she wanted the girl's attention.

"What is it, Sae-san?" Sayori asked, shuddering to herself as she was finally forced to address the intimidating woman's presence.

"I wanted to explain myself," Sae began, looking troubled as she waited for her new cup of coffee. "On the night when I helped Akira escape, I was the one who gave Akechi-kun that phone which caused all of this. So, I should tell you, the one that was hurt most by this, about what happened... I found it odd… how he so blatantly lied about being a poster boy, and that's why he was down there that night. There were no reporters in the TV station. There never had been. I asked around myself. I thought his lies were just because he wanted me gone so he could kill Akira… At first. Now I honestly wonder about all of my interactions with him… How long has he been against me, and then for how long was he actually on my side?"

Sayori nodded, remembering Goro's blatant fear and respect for Sae's talent. "I think he really did appreciate the partnership he had with you…He had a lot of respect for you..." That was all she could really bring herself to say. It felt awkward talking to Sae, like the woman was merely throwing all of her frustrations like the girl was a brick wall.

"That's… nice to hear, now," Sae said, not really enthused. "Anyway… I apologize. I can't help but feel responsible for it all happening… Just like I said earlier, even though I know better, I wonder if I could have stopped him."

"You were only responsible for part of it…" Sayori muttered, looking away. "...I accept your apology, but I still don't really know if I can forgive…"

Sae blanched, before sighing in acceptance as Akira finally set a new cup down for her. He also placed a small cup of orange out for Sayori, a small apology note written on a post-it to go with it. He must have seen that the girl didn't like the scent of her drink.

The woman decided to continue on with what she had to say, gritting her teeth in frustration. "Still, I know it wasn't completely my fault… There was someone else there that night, who could have stopped Akechi. He'd obviously known about Akechi's side job for Shido, but he never did anything. I couldn't believe it when I went back to get Akira. It all became even more confusing… When I saw him, but it all became so much clearer after you explained your side of the story, Sayori." Sitting there in brooding silence, Sae remembered the man she had seen waiting outside of the cell.

"Yaguchi… He was on Shido's side, too… I think Akechi tried to warn me about him, and I didn't listen to him…" Sae looked miserable and angry all at the same time. "That bastard was playing me for a fool… and worst of all is that he definitely knew what Akechi was up too… He knew that a teenager was working for such a horrible man, and making that teen do horrible things." The woman crossed her arms and chugged her coffee, frustrated beyond belief. "I thought he was only responsible for what had happened to Akira, but in regards to Akechi, there must have so much more going on under my nose… What did Yaguchi do…? I don't even want to know…"

Sayori listened to this, remembering that Goro had mentioned that name to her a few times. She felt an angry pit form in her stomach as she turned away from the woman, her voice now only a dangerous whisper as she said, "Where is Yaguchi now?"

"I told him to go into hiding…" Sae explained, bitter regret forming in her gut. "Well, what I actually said was for him to get out of my sight. I was already so disgusted by his actions towards Akira, and how badly he must have been hurt because of Yaguchi, but if Akechi was walking into a trap, Yaguchi had obviously meant to kill him. Whether or not he pulled the trigger, I'll never forgive that man. The only good thing about him going into hiding is that I never have to see his face again."

"Why are you telling me this, Sae?" Sayori asked, looking at the woman in confusion. It hurt to think of it, too. Remembering that the man had been at the scene on the night Akira had been captured, and how he must have had a close eye on Goro, if they were both working so closely with Sae.

"I need to explain myself, to you, and to Akechi. I regret not doing anything to confront Akechi when I first began to suspect he was who Akira said he was, and I need to tell Akechi that I'm sorry for not believing him about Yaguchi… But I'm afraid I won't be able to. The next time I see him, he may be behind bars," Sae explained. The woman leaned onto the counter, resting her aching head in her hands. She was still so unbelievably frustrated.

"I'll… tell him for you, when we see him," Sayori said, trying to fake a smile, even as the thought of having to say that with everything else sent her head spiraling.

"How do you know you'll even get a chance to see him?" Sae asked. "You may not see him before you change Shido's heart, and when he confesses, Akechi may get arrested along with him… He may even get all of the blame pinned on him." The woman frowned as she watched the girl take shaky sips of her orange juice. She cursed herself, trying to find something else to talk about. There were still so many things she felt she needed to discuss with the girl… Surely there was something less stressful for the girl to think about.

"Sayori, I have to know… How have you forgiven Akechi, when you haven't forgiven the other thieves, yet? I'm not trying to judge… I just want to know."

Sayori gulped, wiping at her eyes, which were somehow still dry. "I already went through the same thing with him, back when he first confessed about all that he did. It took me a week just to work up the nerve to go back to his apartment, and even then I didn't know how to feel. Then, just like with the Phantom Thieves, I decided to work together with him." She coughed as she took another sip of orange juice, feeling frustrated with all of these memories piling up, and how it wasn't fair. "B-but I hadn't forgiven him, yet. Not at first. But I still… I still wanted to help him, and I wanted to forgive him, and I did. That's the same for the thieves, but I just need more time."

"Alright… I think I get it," Sae said soothingly, noticing that the girl was struggling to keep herself composed. "I'm not saying you're wrong… I guess to me it was just odd, considering all of the things Akechi has done, and that he may try doing them again, now that none of us are on good enough terms to stop him."

"I won't let him," Sayori said, her voice resolute even as she shuddered. Her whole body felt jittery, and Sae watched in sympathy. "I won't let anything bad happen… Goro's not going to do anything bad, and I… I won't let anything bad happen to him…" The girl began to sniffle as thoughts from the previous night continued to rattle around in her head and shake her to her core. "I just want him to be okay, and I want to be sure that he'll be okay, but what if he's not? What if I go home, not knowing if I'll ever see him again?" tears actually did begin to form, and she shook her head. I can't start doubting myself. I'll help him!

Sae frowned, not sure of what to do, before pulling Sayori into an awkward hug. The woman cringed as the girl stiffened, before pulling away and patting Sayori on the back instead. "Hey, you're going to be alright… and so is he. Sayori, I have… almost no doubt that if you run into him before Shido confesses, you can reach him. It doesn't matter what you say or what you do, because I know he still adores you. It was annoying to see, when we were still working together, but I'm thankful now that I got to witness how much he cares about you."

"Wh…?" Sayori sniffled, before shaking her head. "But what if he hates me now?" It was hard to not have doubts, when she wasn't even sure if Goro really did love her. Sae saying that was nice, but the woman hadn't been around Goro recently. None of them had.

"I highly doubt that hatred would be sincere," Sae replied, trying to give a reassuring smile. "The only thing I'm worried about is if you'll be able to see him in time… But I know that won't happen, because eventually you'll just seek him out. I'll get involved if I have to. I'll drag him by the ear, or by the hair, out of wherever he's staying right now."

"No… Don't do that," Sayori whispered, shaking her head. "I… don't even know if he's going to listen to me…"

"Sayori, please stop worrying like this…" Sae said, trailing off. In truth, the woman had a lot of worries, and acting like she had complete and absolute faith in Sayori would be lying. The girl deserved to hear the truth. "The truth is that nothing is ever fully in our control, and what Akechi decides to do is up to him, no matter what you do. Nothing is set in stone. Don't worry about Akechi, because he will make his own choice in the end, and you can't allow yourself to be hurt if you're not the one he chooses. That could be the difference between living and dying for you."

Sayori whimpered and looked away, numbly finishing her drink and setting the cup down. She couldn't even taste it anymore, yet there was an awful taste in her mouth, and an awful feeling in her head and heart. "Why, then? Why am I even here?" Why am I in this place, instead of back at home?

"Because you are, and neither I, nor Akechi ever knew why, but we worked for so long to find out where you truly belonged, and Sayori… If you go home, then go home without worrying, because that's what Akechi was trying to do before he fell in love with you. If that love doesn't exist anymore, then finding your way home is the best thing you can do, for him, but most importantly for yourself. It's the only thing you could do," Sae said, noticing as Sayori seemed to deflate.

I haven't really done the best job at this… Have I? Sae questioned herself as Sayori pulled away, going upstairs to Akira's room. The other Phantom Thieves had begun to trickle up there, finally about to go to Shido's Palace again. The woman stared at their retreating backs, still unsure of so much. Had she even managed to help Sayori at all, as she had been trying to do in the end?

Unknown to Sae, Sayori had heard her message, and she understood it, and even accepted it. Sayori just didn't want to think about it. It hurt to think of Goro like this, even as she knew she had to prepare herself for whatever outcome occurred. She looked at all of her friends, before looking down at her lap. She still missed him, even as she thought about herself for these few moments.

It felt hard to focus, and find her determination again. It was hard, but not impossible to remember that she was only doing these things to try, because otherwise she would always regret never trying at all.

The teens all stared at her in concern, only for the girl to wave it off. "Let's… let's just go to the Palace…"

After a few moments of reluctance, the Phantom Thieves finally nodded in agreement. Before long, they were on their way to the Diet Building.


Inside the Palace, the Phantom Thieves reviewed their infiltration route until they got to the most recent Safe Room they had found, making it quick as they had memorized the shortcuts and how best to avoid the patrolling Shadows. All the while, they kept a vigilant eye out for Akechi, real and cognition.

The constant wariness was slowly getting to Valiant, who was still feeling the real weight of the conversations she had needed to have these past few days. She knew what could go wrong, and she knew everyone said that they would have her back, but it still hurt when they didn't sound so sure themselves. Just the other day, Sae had promised she would do her best to help, but this morning she sounded more like she was trying to prepare the girl for the worst, as though she had already lost.

Valiant kept trying to push these doubts away, and tried to stay positive that she could do this, but in her mind there was no denying the obvious. The Phantom Thieves meant for this to be the last day in the Palace, so that meant either today or the day they went to steal the Treasure, they would have to meet Goro. Valiant… No, Sayori was going to have to speak to him, and try to convince him to do something he was clearly vehemently against. If that didn't work, then she didn't know what she was going to do.

I'm not ready… I'll never be ready… I should have thought of what would happen if I wasn't ready… I'm not… I still don't even know what I'll even say to him. He won't even listen to my voicemail!

Valiant sat near the back of the Safe Room, trying to find that same motivation she had a few days ago. Where had it gone? Why did it seem like such a long time ago, when it was literally less than a week?

I had so many days, and I still don't know what I can even say to him… I thought I would be okay, but now he's not even listening. He's never going to listen. Nobody's going to listen…

Valiant barely even realized how horrible she felt until the others suddenly were prepared to leave and continue moving forward. All she could find herself thinking about was how Goro could arrive at any moment after they went out there, and how she had no idea what would even happen. If almost four days couldn't prepare her for that, a few seconds would only make it worse.

Thinking of how quickly that time was coming, in the girl's panicked mind, she became convinced that it actually would only take a few seconds for him to show up, instead of up to a few hours. It would only take a few seconds, and in a few seconds they would be leaving the Safe Room. He's probably waiting right outside the door… I don't want to go out there… I can't go out there!

"Valiant, are you ready to go?" Fox asked, coming to the girl's side along with Noir. These past few days, she had been quieter in Safe Rooms than she had been in previous Palaces, and everyone had respected that, understanding that she probably wasn't comfortable holding extended conversations with them right now. Yet, she always responded when Joker proposed the idea of leaving. Fox and Noir decided to ask her directly, in case she had maybe fallen asleep in her hunched over position. It didn't look at all comfortable, hugging her knees and obscuring her face with her hair and mask.

Before either could really take notice of how hard her hands were gripping her knees, the girl began to shake, and everyone went pale as they were reminded of a very similar occurrence not that long ago. Everyone wanted to go over and help Valiant through her anxiety, but at the same time it would be a horrible idea to crowd around her. Instead, Noir and Fox were the ones left closest to the girl, so they took it upon themselves to try and help.

"Hey… I need you to breathe, Sayori," Noir said, not bothering with code names. They were in a Safe Room, and if they weren't safe to call each other by name, then in her opinion they needed to change the name of the rooms. She kept a light touch on the girl's shoulder, feeling her tremble and shake her head. Noir tried to think of something, looking over at Fox, who was now numbly holding a sketchpad in his fingers, having brought it for the visit to the Palace. Now it was forgotten in his hands, but Noir thought that maybe they could find some use in it.

"Sayori, sit up straight so you can breathe, and look at Yusuke and I," Noir instructed, stern but gentle. The girl obliged, and both Noir and Fox hid their grimaces at the streaks of tears that were trailing down below the girl's mask.

"Alright, now Yusuke is going to start drawing a square, and whenever he makes a line, take a breath, then release it, and then when you feel better…" Noir closed her eyes and shook her head. I want you to talk to us, just the phrase sounded too stressful even to her. She could worry about hearing why Valiant was so upset later. Right now they all just wanted to make sure she was okay. It had been scary the first time this had happened, but since then, Haru had taken the time to look into it. She wasn't an expert by any means, but she wasn't going to just be scared and barely do anything this time.

Meanwhile, Fox focused especially hard on making the square that Noir had told him to make, taking breaths as well, trying to make sure that Valiant would match his own. He was scared. He had hoped this wouldn't happen again, but of course it would. Fox felt numb and aware of how foolish he could be at times, cursing it all for meaning he could barely do anything to help Valiant until she was already like this.

After a while, Valiant had finally started to calm down, looking up and sobbing. "I'm not ready… I don't think I can, because nothing I say or do will work. I don't want to just try to help… I want to succeed!"

"Succeed at what…?" Noir asked, being able to guess at where this conversation was going.

Valiant sniffled, leaning back against the wall. "At… At changing things. Why am I here, if nothing is going to be different then how it would be if I wasn't here? I want to feel like I did something… Like I helped anyone in some way that means something, but it won't…I can't, because I'm just me. The only thing I can think of trying to do is help Goro, but he's not going to listen. He hasn't even responded…"

"Sayori… Being here is enough. You're helping all of us right now," Fox said, handing her a small white cloth out of his pocket. "If you hadn't decided to help us right now, then there would be so much we wouldn't know. Taking down Shido is second to making sure that those most affected by him are going to be alright. That goes for Akechi, yes… But I'm never going to forgive Shido for hurting you like this." He sat down, looking the girl in the eyes as she only looked confused.

"Me…?" The girl closed her eyes, troubled and confused by what Fox was trying to imply.

"Yes… He hurt you before you even knew of each other. You deserve to be happy, without having to worry if Akechi or any of us are going to be alright… All because of Shido's rotten ambitions," Fox stated, relieved as Valiant finally accepted the kerchief and wiped at her tear streaked face.

"Shido is the one to blame for this, and you shouldn't have to feel responsible for helping any of us, just because you know his victims," Noir added, looking Valiant in the eyes. "You have every right to be angry at us, and not to forgive us, and even to hate us. Yet, you're here right now, back on the team, even if it's only for this one last time… You're helping us, and you don't deserve having to feel like you have to assure us that there are no hard feelings." Noir picked at the fabric on her gloves, wanting more than anything for Valiant to take all of this to heart.

"Sayori, you are too kind, and you could help so many people with that, but not when you're too afraid to do what you do so naturally. Please… All you need to do is be yourself," Fox stated. It was surprisingly hard for him to express what he wanted the girl to know at that moment. Really, that was all the girl should have to worry about doing. So, he said it again. "Just be yourself, and don't feel sad… Don't feel like you have to be anything more than you already are. Everything about you… Even your name is a reminder to me of the beauty my mother wanted to show me and everyone else."

The two began to back away, until Valiant suddenly reached out. She needed a hug even more than she could ever have thought possible. It made her happy when the two quickly obliged, as she still cried. Even as their words soothed her, she couldn't quite accept that it wouldn't work. It was selfish, but in that moment, Valiant wanted to be enough. She wanted to be more than enough, and even if she could accept that maybe she wasn't, it hurt so much to think that everything she used to have wouldn't want to come back to her. Goro was only part of that, as she also feared that even back at her home, she wouldn't be enough. If she didn't even have a home or a club to go back to, or if she would be able to keep her friends together…

"Sayori… I want you to understand this… I want you to say that you understand it…" Noir said, backing away from the hug, but not quite detaching herself, yet. "About... Goro… You have to be willing to accept what happens. I overheard Sae saying it to you earlier, but you can't just deny it… Because you can reach out. You can hold out your hand to Goro, but it is ultimately his choice if he takes your hand…" The girl trailed off, thinking of her father, remembering his deception in his Palace, and acting as though he really wanted to be better. It hurt that it was a lie… But she had to believe that if nothing else, Goro Akechi would be honest to Sayori.

"It is hard…" Fox said, considering much of the same thing as he couldn't help but feel that same sense of remorse he always felt for Madarame. "But… It is necessary to survive."

"I… I understand…" Valiant couldn't find the mental strength to say anything else. She did understand, but even still she didn't want to. Still, she thought that maybe she was ready. She could accept that there wasn't really anything she could do to prepare. All she had was herself, and if that wasn't enough…

"I… I think I'm ready to go now," Valiant stated, walking towards the door. As she walked by, the rest of the thieves lightly talked about how much they agreed with Noir and Fox, and telling her how much they appreciated her and supported her and were glad she was there. It was nice, and gave the girl a warm, fuzzy feeling in her stomach, but the words still all blurred together. Valiant could barely tell who said what.

Yet, she didn't want to dwell on it. She just wanted to move forward. Even though there was still a sizable pit of nerves in her stomach, Valiant knew it was really the only choice. Shido needed to be stopped. That wasn't debatable.

So, with the Phantom Thieves finally all ready to go, they left the Safe Room, feeling only slightly more prepared to face the remaining trials ahead.


The Phantom Thieves were running down a hallway on the outside of the ship, having just gotten out of another mouse maze of hallways, when they heard a familiar voice from the day before. Since they had just been mice not a few minutes ago, all of their nerves spiked as the man in the purple pinstripe suit walked up to them.

"Hold it right there, punks," the man that must be the Cleaner shouted, stopping them all in their tracks, though they all felt the inexplicable, embarrassing urge to scurry away.

"Hey, it's that scary guy! We didn't cause any more trouble, did we!?" Panther shouted, nervous as she looked around for any Shadows.

"Nope. But…" the man looked behind him for some reason, "You beat the crap outta my men, and I can't exactly let that pass. I'm gonna have to avenge them."

"What!?" Skull shouted, before looking down and whining, "But that was yesterday…!"

"Can't we just let bygones be bygones?" Valiant asked, nervous as she didn't like how out of nowhere this encounter still seemed.

The cleaner grunted, looking back towards the thieves and considering them "You sure do an awful lot of barkin'. Well, I guess I could let you off the hook…"

Three Shadows suddenly formed in front of the thieves, shocking them all back a step or two.

"But you're gonna have to survive against these guys first!" the Cleaner said, stepping back slightly as the Shadows ran forward.

"Get ready. Here they come…!" Mona shouted in warning. Joker ran to meet the Shadows in the middle, managing to knock all of their masks off to reveal the true forms underneath.

All the while, from around the corner ahead of the group, the Cognitive of Goro Akechi silently watched as the group fought, staring blankly, even as his insides lit up with wicked glee. These had to be the intruders in the Palace that he was searching for. They were the Phantom Thieves that were disturbing Captain Shido so much.

He watched for only a few moments longer, examining the Phantom Thieves that were supposed to be such a threat, even as they struggled against such a simple enemy. They truly were just bugs, yet the sight of them sent spikes of hatred through the Cognition's being.

That stupid pink haired girl that kept racing in between different blows with her shield, as expected, especially made his blood boil. He hated her, for how she changed him… How she changed Shido's cognition of him. The only thing that kept him from taking care of these criminals when they were vulnerable, as they were still struggling to find footing in their current battle, was the knowledge that he was wasting precious time.

Unclenching his fists, Cognitive Akechi straightened his shirt and walked back the way he had come, going to report to Captain Shido that the Phantom Thieves were indeed invading his Palace.


Masayoshi Shido was sitting in his office, having just finished a call with his cleaner, when he felt it. It was a sensation he had only felt a handful of times before, whenever Akechi went to his Palace in the cognitive world, believing himself to be sneaky. But Shido knew that the brat was too busy for that today, having a schedule packed with interviews. That could only mean that someone else was in his Palace.

Perhaps the Phantom Thieves are in my Palace to avenge their leader? Or maybe it is even that the theories all of those spies made were correct…

Shido picked up his cell phone and called Akechi's number, troubled that he would have to deal with those bothersome thieves so soon. It seemed that the "ace detective" had been wrong when he said the rest of the thieves were only sheep without their leader. Just as he had been "mistaken" in thinking that Shido wouldn't want updates on how arresting the Phantom Thieves was progressing.

Catching Akechi in his lies had been amusing, and Shido had honestly planned to dispose of him that night, when he came to rescue the Phantom Thieves' leader, knowing that Akechi knew there was no way to avoid heading towards his own demise if he wanted to rescue the teen.

However, it had been a pleasant surprise when Akechi called later that same night, saying he had completed his objective and eliminated his target, along with eliminating the guard waiting outside. Shido hadn't heard anything from Yaguchi after that, confirming the teens's words. The man knew something must have happened for the brat detective to come crawling back. Shido had almost decided to scrap using that girl as a hostage, only to realize that with Akechi's insistence that the rest of the thieves were harmless, that the boy still must hold some affections for his former allies. So the man couldn't just dispose of the girl, or ignore her existence.

Shido still had use for Akechi, so there was no need to let him off the hook just yet. A time like now was the perfect example.


Akechi had just finished an interview when he got a sudden call from Shido. It was odd to receive a call so suddenly, so of course Akechi gave it a few seconds before answering. It was sure to make Shido angry, and Akechi no longer could say he cared what happened at this point, so it was all in good fun.

"Hello, Shido-san. Why have you called?" Akechi asked, feigning innocence.

"It took you too much time to call…" Shido growled over the phone, causing Akechi to smirk. He could have laughed, but he knew that perhaps that would be pushing it too far.

"I sincerely apologize. I was just finishing up a very important interview. You'll be happy to hear that every media outlet is vouching for the inevitable Prime Minister Shido. The public loves you too," Akechi said, stroking Shido's ego, even though the man's frustration and anger was inevitable by now.

"We've only made it this far thanks to you," Shido replied, his voice full of barely hidden malice behind the deceit, taking one last time to praise Akechi. The detective could sense that the man was about to ask him for something.

"I'm honored to hear that," Akechi lied, sneering to himself, keeping his face turned towards a corner to avoid the stares of passing spectators.

"Now then… I have a favor to ask of you," Shido said, finally confirming Akechi's hypothesis.

"What might that be?" Akechi asked, holding his breath. Whatever the man was about to say next would be confirmation about whether or not it was time to act.

"It's about the loyal customers of our mental shutdown business," Shido said, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. "How about you dispose of all the ones you think are suspicious?"

"Right at this moment? But the election is coming up soon," Akechi objected, even as his mind spun with vindication. He had given the thieves their three days, and Shido's call confirmed they were indeed in the Palace.

"Correct. The earlier the better," Shido confirmed, sounding irritated by the teen questioning him.

"Why so suddenly…? Did something happen?" Akechi asked, wanting for the man to say it outright at that moment.

"Nothing in particular. But if something were to happen, it would already be too late," Shido answered, staying vague, Akechi knew that if the man truly expected that the thieves had returned, Akechi would be under heavy scrutiny, so he decided not to press the man further.

"I can understand why you might be nervous, but why not stay calm and hold off until after the election?"

"I'd like to take out all of the trash before my inauguration as prime minister of this nation," Shido answered, sounding much more aggravated than before. "For the sake of absolute victory, I need all roots of anxiety to be pulled as soon as possible."

Good… Be anxious. "Anxiety…? You've never mentioned such things before now… Um… Shido-san?" Akechi asked, noting that the man had gone oddly silent. A moment of silence passed.

"Do you understand what it means to cross me!?" Shido exploded, and Akechi prided himself on not flinching, though it was shocking. "Just do as I ask. I'll be counting on you."

Another heavy moment of silence passed, before the man added, in a cold, cruel tone, "And I want the rest of those thieves disposed of as well."

Shido hung up, and Akechi stared at his phone for a few moments. He tried to summon up any form of excitement now that he was done conversing with Shido, but all he could really find himself feeling was anger.

He hated the Phantom Thieves. That was all he had been telling himself these past few days. He was going to confront them and kill them, and then he was going to achieve a revenge that he now knew to be pointless. Yet, Shido just had to taint the small feeling of liberation that Akechi had managed to find in the task. Akechi had been telling himself he would be happy when the thieves were gone, but Shido had taken that choice away from him. There was no joy left for him in anything.

"It's finally time," Akechi said to himself. He hesitated for a few moments, wondering in which direction he would go, before his shoulders sunk. After today, he supposed he wouldn't have to worry about hiding in a hotel room. Knowing that, he walked towards the apartment.

He tried to ignore the stubborn sense of relief that the man's last order had given him, instead focusing on the anger and hatred he had for Shido about losing his choice. He focused on all of the joy the man kept stealing, sucking the energy, liberty, and life out of everything he was involved with.


She came home a wreck that day, her nicest clothes torn, with scrapes and bruises covering her body. She quit all of her jobs except the one she had at night, sending Akechi to the bath house when she worked like always. Other than that, she only slept and stared, sometimes muttering sad things about herself, Akechi, and sometimes dark things about herself and Shido. That sadness and darkness seemed to choke the life out of their small home.

This went on for a week.


"Because of Shido…" Akechi said to himself, the memory sinking back into the depths of his brain as fast as it had come up. His mother had gone to visit Shido for the first time in many years, hoping to get some money to help take care of her son… and maybe herself. Instead, Shido had her beaten black and blue, and done who knows what else to drain her as he did. That sad, dark cloud that Akechi remembered from that time seemed to follow him like a curse as he finally arrived at his own apartment complex.

Akechi's place felt like a time capsule as he walked up to it, dark and depressing as though it had just been unearthed. He hadn't been there since before the heist at Sae's Palace. Even though it hadn't been that long at all, it felt like a lifetime to Akechi, who now felt like a completely different person, so utterly devoid of optimism as he was. The apartment was no longer a home, but a place, and try as he might, there was no way to ever imagine it as a home again. It didn't feel like a place he belonged anymore, and the boy almost decided it was a waste of time to go in.

Still, he had to prepare a bit more. Akechi truly had no idea how anything was going to work anymore. He just knew that it felt right to come to the apartment again.

He already had all of his own supplies ready, satisfied with his gun, and knew he had sufficient supplies to make the trip through Shido's Palace to wherever the thieves might be.

There really was nothing left for him here. There was nothing at all in this apartment that mattered to him anymore. His own life barely consisted of anything that mattered to him. Just things that helped him get approval from others, and then whatever was needed to achieve his revenge, which really only consisted of files of information, his gun, and the people that helped him cut a path to Shido's side, who never really stayed for long before being disposed of.

However, before he could really deem the visit pointless, Akechi entertained one last idea.

Knowing he had a limited time before he needed to get to the Diet Building, Akechi turned towards his bedroom door. They were only two small things he wanted to have one last look at. He wondered if, now that everything had changed, they too would feel tainted and sad, but there was really only one way to be sure. The detective walked into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him and giving himself a mental timer of five minutes.

When he finally walked out of the apartment, he still could draw no conclusions.


The group had eventually made their way to the outside of the ship after dealing with the Cleaner's second attempt at sending goons after them. Eventually the Phantom Thieves had come out as victorious, and feeling wary about whether the Cleaner had called for reinforcements, decided to find a less accessible way for them to travel. As their luck would have it, this tactic would lead them to the window of the private room where their fourth target, an IT company president, stayed.

"That must be the IT company president," Fox said, pointing slightly into the room at a masked man that sat at the head of a fancy table, facing a laptop while women stood on each side of him.

"I'm gonna go!" Oracle said, before anyone could make a move to go in, blocking the window with her own wiry frame.

"Are you sure you don't want us to just ambush him?" Queen asked, looking in concern at the multiple people in the room that were potential threats. It would be easier if they went in as a team, like always.

"I don't think that would work in such a small space, especially since it's a private room. We can't just blend in with the crowd while we sneak up on him this time," Oracle said, matter of factly as she peeked into the room again. "He'd call for backup the second we all took a step in."

"I guess that makes sense. If you can, find out where he keeps his alarm," Valiant suggested, guessing to herself that maybe he had it accessible on the laptop itself.

"Can do," Oracle said, a confident smile on her face as she pointed at herself, "This is IT stuff! This is my time to shine!"

"Just yell if things get dangerous, OK?" Panther cautioned, giving the young girl a stern look. Oracle saluted the blonde and walked into the room, feeling her confidence slowly crumble, though she managed to keep the pieces together enough to keep the foundation from falling apart. She was acutely aware of the other thieves closely observing the room from the window. It was reassuring that they cared so much, even if it was annoying and overwhelming.

"What the!? Who're you!?" The IT Company President shouted, jumping up in shock as Oracle marched into the room.

"P-P-Pardon my entrance sudden!" Oracle shouted back, her nerves and grammar shot a bit by the yelling. Yet, she held herself and stood straight as the man observed her warily, but didn't seem to be making a move to call anyone.

"Those clothes… I-I mean, why did you come in from the window!?" The man yelled, angry as he seemed to regain what counted as common sense in this Palace. Oracle watched him begin to reach into his suit pocket.

Miraculously, she managed to act quickly instead of freeze up. "W-Well the door's locked and you weren't answering! How else am I supposed to get in here?" the girl replied haughtily, causing the man to pause in confusion. "Oh, but I get how you feel! There's totes nothing better than relaxing in your own room!"

"A-A girl…?" The IT president now seemed fascinated by the odd circumstance, taking his hand out of his pocket and putting it on his chin in deep thought.

"You're an IT guy, right? I can tell we talk the same language!" Oracle exclaimed, finding an opening and latching onto with all of her might. The beginning of an actual plan was beginning to form as she walked towards the man.

"That's not what matters here. Just who are…" The man paused as he watched Oracle take a seat on his couch and open up her laptop. The girl began working diligently on something she knew would be considered impressive. "...Hmmm!? Is that your laptop?"

Oracle chuckled mischievously, "This little guy caught your attention, huh? I made it myself!"

"This is amazing… To think you could do this much on a mobile device…" The IT president leaned over the couch the girl was on, getting a better look at the strings of code that flew by on her screen.

"Wanna see the benchmarks? It can pump out some awesome numbers," Oracle bragged, already bringing them up, before frowning at the laptop, as though it weren't that impressive, which, in comparison to her other devices, it really wasn't. "Although normally I just use this one as a sub-processor when I'm hacking into a tough system."

"Hacking…? Do you mean like cyber attacks?" The man asked, not even a little bit shocked by the suggestion of crimes, but intrigued.

Oracle chuckled again, bringing up a name she knew would be impressive, "Ever heard of Medjed?"

"Well, of course," The IT president replied. Good. He wouldn't be very good at his illegal job if he hadn't, Oracle concluded.

"Try not to be surprised by this. Actually, be surprised," The girl pushed up her goggles, fitting them more snugly to her face, before pointing to herself, "I am Medjed! I'm the one who took down the fake!"

"Huh…?"

"Don't believe me, huh? Here, this is proof," Oracle turned her laptop towards the man and watched as surprise predictably lit up his features.

"This is the project server…! You identified all of them!?" The man seemed impressed, so Oracle quickly pounced on the opportunity.

"If you want my skills, I'll need a letter of introduction," Oracle said, making her voice stern, leaving no room for offers.

"Man… To think the website we prepared got crushed so easily by a mere child…" The IT company president put his hands in his hair as he looked at the superior coding. Though the creator of such code was now the one caught in surprise.

"Huh? Y-You prepared it…?" Oracle asked, thinking back to the shoddy website that she had once only assumed was merely an amatuer cyber terrorist.

"That's right. Why did you have to go and destroy our work?" The man confirmed, looking miserable.

"Because I'm a Phant-" Oracle stopped herself as she caught sight of her teammates' worried faces behind her, prepared at any moment to jump in. She stuttered out a different, lesser reason. "I-It was just because I couldn't forgive someone using the Medjed name without my permission. So, why'd you send Medjed after the Phantom Thieves?"

"There was no reason to choose Medjed per se. Their popularity was convenient for us though," The man explained, putting his hand on his chin as he recalled previous events. "We knew the Phantom Thieves couldn't target an anonymous group, after all."

"That's why…?" Oracle trailed off, looking away sadly. The once respected name as a hacker of justice that she had created for herself… had been tarnished for only that reason?

"Medjed's defeat was supposed to be an act, so their actual fall was quite a shock to me and Akechi-kun," The IT president said casually, causing Oracle's head to whip up in shock and worry as she looked behind her.

You shouldn't have said that… Oracle could see the alarm on the other thieves' faces as they peeked inside, and Valiant's worried, sad frown as she tried to lean further into view in order to hear more details.

"We were planning on shutting it down anyway though, so it didn't really conflict with our plans," The man continued explaining, unaware of the stir he was causing in the girl sitting beside him, as well as the teens waiting outside as they pulled Valiant back into hiding.

Our plans…? Oracle thought. Even as anger at the disrespect from this man soaked into her mind, she tried not to let the shared credit get to her. Between a Shadow in Shido's Palace, and a friend she had made the decision to trust, it was an easy decision on who to believe.

"The Phantom Thieves must've enjoyed their moment in the spotlight, not knowing it would be so short-lived," The IT president continued, though Oracle had gone numb as his words caused frustration and anger to bubble up in the teenage hacker, all while she attempted to juggle clear headed thought with them.

Wait… everyone said Valiant was especially nervous around this time… She may have even mentioned that we had to worry about traps… I'll need to ask her about this after we get a letter of introduction from this guy, Oracle decided, making a decision as she snuck a look back at the hiding teens. They were now completely out of sight, thankfully.

"You see, you gotta abuse a tool like the internet. Well, the word abuse doesn't really describe it," The man said, as though describing a favorite flavor of wine than a horrible crime that he used to screw over multiple people. "The real charm comes in making use of the internet in innovative ways that circumvent legal restrictions.

"You little…" Oracle felt she could have strangled this man if she didn't have so little faith in her scrawny arms.

The IT president only chuckled, "I'm sure you understand. You're Medjed, after all. Isn't it wonderful manipulating all those information-illiterate idiots!?"

"... What a third-rate fool," Oracle muttered, after a moment to pause, angry at this man. This entire conversation would probably end up being the lowest point of her day.

"Huh?" The man said in shock as Oracle slammed her laptop closed and stood up, facing the man.

"Not only are your skills third-rate, but you stink worse than a third-rate person," Oracle snarled, pointing a finger into the pathetic man's chest. "Don't treat me like we're equals. I'm gonna reform society!"

"What a stupid idea. Don't tell me you destroyed my website for this so-called 'societal reform'?" The IT president said, a vein in his head seeming to pop as he spoke.

"That's right! It's because I'm a member of the Phantom Thieves!" Oracle shouted, alerting the teens outside to get ready to come in after that declaration. No way would they be negotiating for that letter now.

"What!?" The Shadow began to look distorted and exaggerated, standing up straighter.

"Picking on the weak and calling that innovative?" Oracle continued, uncaring as the man grew more and more intimidating. "Looks like I just gotta ban the guy at the root of all this… Shido! Now, you're gonna give me that letter of introduction!"

"Why would I?" Too quick to stop, the man held up a black remote and pressed a button, grinning in triumph. "Don't be ridiculous! I'd rather just kill you!"

Oracle stopped her furious tirade, realizing the situation she was now in. "Oh… That's not good… Um, guys!"

Quick as a flash, the Phantom Thieves bolted into the room, masks already off and prepared to fight. Noir looked at the fuming Shadow and sighed. "So this is still what happens in the end…"

"Well, now that we know he has one, this should be the easiest way to get it!" Mona said, glaring as the Shadow began a full transformation into Oberon, while the women standing near him turned into two Titanias.

Skull and Noir quickly ran forward and knocked the two Titanias to the ground with their weapons, all the while Joker and Queen focused their attention on the Shadow Oberon in front. In the crowded room, everyone else but Oracle, who could float above their heads and provide support, had to stand back and wait to see if they were needed.

"Hey, Valiant?" Oracle called from inside her UFO as it was jostled by an attack from Oberon, which was quickly blocked by Noir.

"What is it, Oracle?" Valiant asked, raising her shield to block the wildly flying fairies from the rest of the group.

"Well, when the guy mentioned Akechi, it kind of made me nervous. Have you heard anything about this?" Oracle asked, sounding unsure and worried, not wanting the girl to snap at her.

"The only thing I can think of is that… Now that I think of it more, I overheard him on the phone with Shido… At least I think it was probably Shido that he called. He talked about a plan for Medjed, and I remember Akechi sounded like he wasn't really on board with the plan…" Valiant tried to recall.

"Hm… Do you think he had a part in coming up with it before, though?" Oracle asked, sounding depressed by the mere possibility.

Valiant shook her head, unsure. "I really don't know. I only remember that one phone call, and I don't think he ever mentioned anything about whose plan it was…"

Oracle's lip trembled, but she put that information in the back of her head. If things began going well, she could get the answer from Akechi himself, or even this Shadow after they finished beating the crap out of him. In order to ensure that victory was certain, she healed the thieves that were currently fighting and raised their offense.

As always, it was a tough battle, with the fairies flying wildly around the room and often giving a thief or two an ailment that left them unable to fight, but eventually they were able to send the Oberon collapsing to the floor, dissolving into his more human form.

Oracle lowered herself from her UFO and walked over to the man, picking up a letter of introduction that had fallen out of his suit's jacket pocket. "Okey Dokey! We got a letter of introduction!"

The girl paused for a moment as she handed the letter to Joker, before glaring at the IT company president. "Making that fake Medjed wasn't the only bad thing you did, right?" Oracle asked, though it sounded more like a question than a statement. "I want to hear your biggest secret."

The man paused a moment, looking nervous, debating with himself before looking up. "The cognitive psience research…" he choked out.

Oracle straightened up, fearing where this was going, but angry enough to spur her onwards. "What did you do!? Spill it!"

"After extracting the results of the research, I deleted every last scrap of the original data," the man explained, "After that, I encrypted everything we had and put it on a domain inaccessible to normal people. Don't get me wrong though. I don't know anything about all the mental shutdowns."

"Shido…" Mona muttered, looking down with a glare. "What the hell was he researching?"

"No matter what it was, we won't let him abuse it!" Oracle declared, pointing up at the ceiling. The group was about to turn to leave, only for Valiant to stomp towards the most recently vanquished foe.

"One last question!" the girl demanded. "How was Goro Akechi involved with this plan!?"

The man looked up nervously, sweat beading down his face. Suddenly, he seemed very afraid. "Uh… We-"

"I can answer that for him." a sound like thunder split across the room, and the IT company president fell to the floor, dissolving into black matter, then to nothing. The Phantom Thieves spun around to come face to face with the blank stare of Shido's Cognition of Akechi.

"Oh no! We ran out of time!" Oracle shouted, looking down in guilt at the spot where the IT president had once been. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have wasted time on stupid questions."

"Oh… No need to worry about all of that. I was actually waiting outside since before you even arrived," Cognitive Akechi informed them with a glassy smile. "I congratulate you on having the clever idea of sneaking in through the window!"

"How long has he known…?" Panther asked, looking around at all of the thieves, hoping one of them might have an answer.

"Don't ask questions as though I'm not here. That's incredibly disrespectful. Actually, I came here to escort you. After all, if my theory is correct, you're looking to get letters of introduction, aren't you?" Cog Akechi asked, before holding up his gun once again and pointing it at Joker, a heavy glare forming on his face. "Judging by the trail of destruction you've left on Captain Shido's ship, you should only have one left, and you need it from the Cleaner. I'd ask if you would want to be escorted down to the lower hull to pay him a visit, but…" Suddenly, around ten or more Shadows materialized around the Phantom Thieves, boxing them in. The Cognitive smiled once again, creepy and doll-like. "You don't actually have a choice."


Goro Akechi stood in front of the entrance to Shido's Palace, considering the heavy doors that loomed over him. He was in the same red and white prince outfit that he had worn when he was working with the Phantom Thieves, as he didn't want any of them to not immediately recognize him when he arrived. It was easier that way… He wanted them to know immediately who had come to do them in.

Yet, as he stood at the entrance to his father's Palace, wearing the princely outfit, he felt an odd cloud form around his heart. He felt so incredibly, unbelievably angry, just by being in this place. Mixed in with that anger, however, was an unmistakable feeling of guilt and shame, though he couldn't pinpoint why it was there. He felt no guilt for wanting to destroy the thieves anymore. The time had passed for that.

Akechi finally put his hand on the large set of doors, pushing them open and stepping inside. He pushed the doors closed, light and quiet, though at this point he didn't see a need in bothering to sneak around in this place. He knew it so well, after exploring its halls so many times in his black armor.

"Little Birdy… Little Prince… What are you doing out of your room?"

His head ached with a memory… Or maybe a dream. Akechi had never been sure what had happened that night.

Now isn't the time to reminisce, and yet, for Akechi, who could get to wherever he wanted to go in this Palace, it was time, as there was nothing else to do. One last time, he had to make sure he remembered. He had to make sure he remembered exactly why he was doing this.

So, with no hesitation in his steps, Akechi ran forward and veered to the right, his mental map of the Palace going side by side memories of the past, and the dreams of revenge that would follow.

This is a bit of a shorter chapter, but I hope you like it all the same! The next chapters are chapters I've been thinking about since this fanfic started, so I hope I do especially well with writing them. Please let me know what you think of this chapter, and I'll see you next time!