The mechanical sounds of the bowels of the cruise ship, as well as the distant drip of water from an uncared for leak, is all the backdrop the group of teenagers have as they stare down their enemy. Akechi, defeated, on his knees and with his mask broken, unable to meet the gazes of anybody else there, realizes how stupid he'd been. Because they're right; if at any point, any point at all, he'd been given a friend, someone who could trust him and he could trust in return, none of this would've happened. He wouldn't feel so pathetic. There could have been healthier ways to take down Shido.
Instead he is left here, a broken husk of a boy, wishing that he'd met Kurusu much, much sooner.
"All right!" Skull diverts the conversation after a moment of hesitation that had gone on too long. He turns to the rest of his teammates. "Let's go back and get that callin' card ready!" Akechi can hear him pivot on one foot, turning back to face him. "We're gonna take Shido down. What're you gonna do?"
"It'd be a problem if you kept getting in our way," Panther chimes in, and her tone is softer and gentler than it had been moments before. "Wanna come along and help us settle things?"
Akechi flicks his gaze and then his head upwards in surprise to look at her. She wants him to join them? After all this, after everything he's done? He doesn't understand. He can't understand.
"Are you all idiots?" He asks, and, for some reason, his tone is missing its earlier bite. Perhaps he's too tired for it. Or perhaps it's because he really, truly does want to go with them. "You should get rid of me...if you don't want me getting in your way."
The Black Mask glances between all of their faces, all their encouraging faces, unforgiving yet sympathetic expressions that give him a strange feeling in his chest and an odd taste in the back of his throat, until his gaze lands on Joker. He takes in the other young man's expression. Silent, yet caring. Understanding. A genuine want to help behind those dark-colored eyes, and the strange feeling in Akechi's chest becomes stronger as the corners of Joker's lips twitch upwards in a small yet gentle smile.
He…
He doesn't…
Akechi lets out a humorless laugh, forcing his gaze downwards once again. "You all are truly beyond my comprehension."
There's another moment of silence, one in which he can't bring himself to look up at them again. But something else gets his attention, the sound of footsteps approaching from behind him. Who in the world…? With confusion and apprehension, he turns to face the individual and-
"What the hell…?"
"Akechi?"
Sure enough, he is staring down a replica of himself. One that isn't wearing the attire of the Black Mask, but rather his school uniform. The brown coat, pinstriped tie, black slacks and gloves...it's another him.
He grits his teeth.
"Another one?!" Fox exclaims, and then, after apparently looking closer, "Wait, is he…?"
"That's Shido's cognitive version of Akechi!" Mona calls out, and the Phantom Thieves respond by falling back into defensive stances.
The cognition only laughs, covering his face with one hand before he retrieves his gun and points it at the real Akechi. One of the Thieves gasps in her surprise, and the cognition looks to the rest of the group.
"I'll deal with the rest of you later." His voice is twisted and warped, so eerily calm and so unlike the real Akechi. And the look in his eyes, almost as if he's dead, or perhaps so beaten into subservience he can't allow himself to emote far beyond that. He turns back to look at the young man he is holding at gunpoint. "Captain Shido's orders. He has no need for losers." A shrug. "Well, this just moves the plan up a little. He was going to get rid of you after the election anyway."
Akechi grimaces in anger. "What?!"
The cognition shakes his head, clicking his tongue at the other. "Did you truly believe you'd be spared after all the murders you undertook?" He tilts his head, something of a teasing smirk tugging on his lips. "Don't tell me, were you actually feeling good about having someone rely on you for once?"
A sharp feeling pierces through Akechi's heart, and his fists clench. The cognition doesn't notice, or if he does he doesn't say anything in response to it.
"Oh, by the way," he still has that teasing tone, a mockery of the real Akechi's, "the captain says it's time you receive retribution for causing the mental shutdowns."
"What the hell, man!" Skull shouts and successfully interrupts the conversation between the two. "That bastard was the one who put him up to it!"
It gives the real Akechi enough time to rise back onto his feet and assess the situation. A cognitive version of himself that made no appearance until now, cold and cruel and calculating. Not that that part is far off from the original, but still, he lets out a humorless laugh as the situation clicks in his mind.
"I see," he says, turning to look at the cognition with a dangerous smile. "I was wondering how he'd protect himself if I used my power to tear through his Palace. Turns out you're how. So he's making a puppet kill me." Another cold chuckle. "It sounds like something he'd do."
The cognition only nods in agreement. "That's right, I'd do anything. But look at yourself," he gestures with the gun at the other as though he's not holding a weapon to kill but a baton to wave around. "You're the true puppet."
Akechi almost chokes at that. What the hell is it talking about? What the hell does it know?!
"You wanted to be acknowledged, didn't you?" The cognition lets out a bark of laughter, his expression twisting into something malicious. "To be loved? You've been the puppet from the very beginning."
Skull growls. "You little…!"
"So this is what Shido thinks of Goro Akechi?" Queen brings her hands to her mouth, her expression frightened and shocked as she watches this conversation unfold. "It's...It's too horrible!"
Noir shakes her head, fists clenched at her sides as she cries out. "It's still not too late! We can still change Shido's heart together! Even if he's your father...No, because he's your father!"
The cognitive Akechi snarls, making a rather ugly face. Even though he addresses the other Phantom Thieves the barrel of the gun is still pointed at the real detective. "What's all this nagging about? Want me to take care of you first?"
In an instant, several Shadows appear behind the cognition, a support group to assist the cognition in this scene. If the Thieves rush in, he'll shoot the real Akechi. If Akechi tries to take down the cognition, the Shadows will likely swarm him. It doesn't seem as though there's an easy way out of this now.
And Akechi knows, he knows that if he tries anything, coming out of it alive will be cutting it very close.
Some part of him realizes that he doesn't mind risking it for the others. For Kurusu.
"No, he's not alone!" Panther calls out to the others, "He has Shadows too!"
"You know what?" The cognition continues as if he knows that he has the upper hand. "I'll let someone volunteer in his place. Who knows? You might delay his death."
"Damn you…"
"You guys are all about doing things for others, aren't you?" A crazed smile appears on the cognition's face as he continues, grinning as if he doesn't have a care in the world. "Oh, that's just the same as me! I'm going to take the blame for our captain. I'll die for him too."
"This is what Shido thinks of Akechi-kun?" The shock and horror that had previously overtaken Queen now gives way to anger and frustration. "Even after making him help with the murders?!"
The cognition snorts as if this had been obvious, and then turns back to look at the real Akechi. "Here, I'll give you one last chance." He gestures with his gun. "Shoot them."
The fraction of a second between the order and when Akechi speaks feels like an eternity, at least to the young detective. It's a moment so quick, and yet he tries his best to assess the situation he is handed as he straightens back up to examine the Thieves. Except he isn't directly examining them, but something beyond them on the back wall.
The switch for the bulkhead door. He can already spot the outline for where the bulkhead will close, and he realizes with a heavy weight on his shoulders that they are all on the other side. If he can get it to close, the others will be safe, and he can buy them time. He's already injured badly from the previous fight, but if he can hold these Shadows off like this and let the Phantom Thieves continue onwards, it's a chance he'll take.
Forget "cutting it close."
There is a very, very good chance he won't make it out alive.
And the realization that he is willing to give up his life for them to fulfill their mission is enough to make him laugh.
"I was such a fool."
In a fluid motion, he retrieves his weapon and aims at the leader of the Phantom Thieves. Despite the mask obscuring Joker's face, he can make out the expression he's wearing. Shocked. Concerned. Calm despite the desperation behind those eyes. Eyes that, now that he's staring back at them, hide a clever mischievousness. He's never really remarked on it before now, but the code name "Joker" is very fitting for someone like Kurusu.
"Yes," the cognition barks out a laugh. "That's the you our captain wishes to see!"
Akechi gives Kurusu a look.
I've got this.
"Don't misunderstand," he says with a chuckle. "You're the one that's going to disappear!"
A gunshot rings out.
The bullet hits its mark, and the cognitive version of Akechi falls to his knees and grasps at his wound. The real Akechi straightens up again, takes aim over Kurusu's shoulder and fires again, striking the button for the bulkhead door.
The Thieves all turn to look at what he'd fired at as the announcement rings out and the door rises, effectively separating them from the young detective for the very last time. He can't see them anymore, but he can hear the telltale sound of someone slamming their fists against the door.
"Akechi!" Skull calls out to him.
He grits his teeth, moving to lean against the door. "Hurry up and go!"
"You fool!" Fox yells back. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"
"The real fools are you guys," he replies back with a bitter and empty laugh. "You should have just abandoned me here a long time ago. You would have all perished if you tried to face these with me weighing you down."
He coughs, and it takes a lot out of him. He's not going to last that much longer at this rate, not with those Shadows waiting to pounce on him.
"Akechi-kun!"
"Let's make a deal, okay?" Kurusu, answer me. I know you're there. "You won't say no, will you?"
He can hear light footsteps. Fox again. "Why at a time like this?"
No. No. He needs Kurusu to hear this.
"Change Shido's heart, in my stead. End his crimes…" He swallows a weight in his throat, one hand resting on a wound at his side as he allows himself to beg. "Please!"
With all that had happened between them, despite him trying to kill the other, after that fanciful faked death, and everything else, he now understands something very, very important. It was never Kurusu that he'd hated. Or maybe it was, but now he realizes that the unfairness hadn't been because of him. It was because of the people around them, or the lack thereof. If only things could have been different, if they had met earlier than they did.
Perhaps, instead of being mortal enemies, they could have been great friends.
"I'll hold on to your glove."
Kurusu calling out to him is enough to snap him out of his daze with a gasp, and it takes Akechi a moment to realize what Joker had meant by that. The glove he'd given to him when they'd dueled in Mementos, and the promise they'd made.
"Heh. After all this, that's what you have to say?" Akechi closes his eyes, leaning his back against the door separating the two of them. It hurts, and yet at the same time it feels like a weight being lifted off of his shoulders. He's sorry, Kurusu, but it's the end of the line for him. "Seriously, you are…"
...It looks like his end of the promise won't be fulfilled at this rate.
"You bastard!"
Ah, right, there's still unfinished business to take care of. Akechi tries his best to straighten up in spite of the lingering pain and wounds, opening his eyes to glare back at the cognitive version of himself. The two of them hold each other up with their firearms drawn, ready to shoot at any moment.
"So," Akechi says through gritted teeth, "my final enemy is a puppet version of myself. I…!"
I won't make this easy!
"Akechi-kun!" Noir's voice rings out.
They're still there.
"Isn't there some way to get this open, Mona?!" Panther asks with desperation, but it's then that Akechi makes his decision.
Two gunshots ring out.
One bullet strikes the cognition, and he disappears.
The other hits Akechi in the chest.
He staggers backwards, his back once again leaning against the bulkhead door as he stares at the Shadows that are about to bear down on him. He doesn't have the strength to keep holding the gun anymore, so it drops onto the ground with a loud clatter. From the other side of the thick sheet of metal, he can hear voices. The Phantom Thieves are still there. Akechi lets out a weak laugh.
It almost sounds as though they're grieving for him.
"I'll take Shido down."
He must be hallucinating at this point, but he swears that he hears Kurusu's voice once again. He can almost visualize the other young man's face in his mind's eye, gentle and yet stern, with a very strong sense of justice. The kind of face that doesn't give up, on himself or others.
I wish I could see the end of this.
Blackness starts to eat away at his vision.
I'm counting on you to finish this, Akira.
But he speeds up the process and closes his eyes.