Is Akira Okay?

by AutomneLoup

In 2018, Akira Kurusu returns to Tokyo in order to start university. However, the thieves notice that something is different about him. He seems a lot more hostile towards others, even his friends and loved ones. When Akira's troubled past is revealed to them, the race is on. With help from his family, including a famous idol, can they save him before he is lost, possibly forever?

36. When Everything Is Wrong

**May 13th, 2011 — Kurusu House**

The sun had gone down, and Akira was all alone, crying in his room. He was aching, both physically and emotionally after the trio had attacked him and ruined one of his father's books. He sat against his bedroom wall, facing away from the door, shedding tears, and wailing loudly. His mother had tried several times to talk to him, but Akira pushed her out every time. Not that Kairi didn't know what was wrong; Akira coming home in tears was not a new development. She knew it was the trio. Kairi had exchanged several words over the phone with Masato Takagi, the father of the head bully, Raden, in the past. Minoru had as well before he passed away, but nothing seemed to ever come of those conversations. Minoru had even gone to visit Masato Takagi personally to tell him off, warning him that if Raden didn't leave his son alone, there would be hell to pay.

"I'm home!" Tetsuya called out as he came in through the front door, kicking off his shoes and breathing in the aroma of dinner being prepared. Having been assigned clean-up duty at school, he arrived later than usual. "Hey, Mom! What's up?" Tetsuya smiled as he walked into the living room, but his smile immediately faded; something in the air was off. Kairi was sitting on the couch with a sad expression on her face, and her hands nervously clamped together. "You okay? What's going on?" Then, he heard sobbing from upstairs. Tetsuya huffed as his gaze went from the upstairs back to his mother. "Let me guess, the trio again?" he flatly asked; Kairi nodded.

"I don't know what they've done this time, but Akira's been like that ever since he got home. I've tried talking to him several times, even tried giving him a snack, but he kicked me out every time. He just won't talk to me…" she sadly admitted. "Can you try and talk to him?"

"Yeah, of course," Tetsuya nodded and shot her a reassuring smile.

"Thank you, honey," Kairi smiled as she got up and gave her eldest a hug. "Just a heads-up, dinner's almost ready."

Tetsuya nodded once more and made his way up the stairs. It took him a little longer than usual. He wasn't walking quite right as he was still recovering from a Grade 3 MCL tear a couple of months prior after a dirt bike accident. Thankfully, his ACL wasn't damaged in the process, which meant his recovery time would be a lot shorter than otherwise. He had a cast on for over eight weeks, but recently got it removed. Despite this, he was still limping slightly, but was nonetheless able to walk without crutches. Once upstairs, Tetsuya gently knocked on Akira's bedroom door, the bedroom that was once their father's, and quietly called out to him.

"Akira? You okay, bud?" Akira's response came in the form of more sobs. Tetsuya tried again. "Akira, I'm coming in, okay?" The door wasn't locked; Tetsuya turned the knob and slowly opened it. He saw his little brother sitting on the floor, against the wall, with his arms and knees tucked into his face. Tetsuya sighed as he walked over and sat down on the floor next to him.

"Leave me alone!" Akira yelled out as he kept sobbing.

"Aw, buddy, I can't do that when you're crying like this," Tetsuya warmly responded. "You're breaking my heart. You wanna tell me what those assholes did this time?" he asked as he pulled out a packet of tissues from his pocket and handed it to Akira. Akira slowed his sobbing and sniffed a few times. Tetsuya got really mad when he saw a bruise on Akira's forehead. He had half a mind to march over to Raden's house with Naito and beat the shit of the kid.

"…y-you s-swore…" Akira said before blowing his nose.

"Yeah, I know, hehe…" Tetsuya cracked a smile. "You can tell Mom if you want, but I think even she'll let this one slide."

"W-Why?"

"Because it was aimed at Takagi," he chuckled.

"…assholes…" Akira murmured under his breath; Tetsuya caught it.

"All right, don't you start now. Mom's gonna be really pissed at me otherwise."

"Sorry…"

"Eh, it's fine," Tetsuya smiled. "I figured you could get one, but, uh, do as I say, not as I do. Got it?" Akira nodded. "Good. Now, tell me what happened."

"T-They beat me up a-and…" Akira's eyes welled up once again. "…called me weak and… t-they… destroyed Dad's book." Akira began sobbing again; Tetsuya grew mad.

"Those mother-" He stopped himself from swearing. He took a deep breath and recomposed himself. "Look, those guys are jerks. I dunno what their problem is. Maybe when you're born with a silver spoon up the a— *ahem* butt, you think you're untouchable and that everyone else is below you or something." Akira stopped sobbing again.

"Silver spoon in the butt?" he asked, confused. Tetsuya chuckled.

"It's a saying, though, the actual saying is 'silver spoon in the mouth.' It means being rich or privileged. Anyway, the point is, Raden thinks he's better than you. But you know what? He's not. In fact, I think he's jealous of you."

"He is?"

"Mm-hm. He's jealous that you have such a good family. I don't know much about his family, but if I know bullies, and I do, then Raden's probably miserable at home, and he takes his frustrations out on you."

"But why?"

"I wish I could tell you, Akira…" Tetsuya sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "But no matter what his problem is, he had no right to attack you like that."

"He also called you…something…" Akira trailed off.

"…what? You can say it, it's okay." Tetsuya had an idea of what the kid said about him.

"He called you… 'stupid gay-ass.'"

"Pfft, that's it?" Tetsuya cracked up. "Oh no, I can't believe it. I'm so hurt," he feigned shock.

"It's mean though…"

"Well, yeah, 'being mean' is kinda Raden's whole shtick. But here's the thing, I don't care what he thinks about me. I am who I am, I like who I am, and I am proud of who I am, and you should be proud of who you are too."

"It's still not nice…"

"You're okay with who I am, right?" Akira quickly nodded. "Then that's all I care about. Besides, he wouldn't dare say that to my face because he knows I can beat the hell out of him."

"Swear…"

"Oh, give me a break, will you?" Tetsuya playfully nudged his baby brother, but he was still sad. "What's up? Come on, talk to me, Akira."

"Dad…Dad's book…" Akira looked back down in sadness; Tetsuya paused before he started talking.

"Look, I know you miss Dad. I miss him every day too; we all do. It's okay to miss him, but Akira, it's just a book. We can get another one. It's not the only thing Dad left us; you know?" Akira nodded his head. "Let me tell you something. Life? Sometimes it sucks. It can be cruel, mean, and it will hit harder than any punch to the face or kick to the gut Raden can dish out. But ultimately, it doesn't matter. What matters is whether or not you choose to get back up and keep going, and I believe you can do just that, Akira."

"I-I can't…" Akira shook his head.

"What do you mean? Why not?"

"I'm weak…and scared."

"Bullshit!" Akira shot his brother a look. "Yeah, yeah, I know, swear, but hear me out," Tetsuya clicked his tongue. "There's nothing wrong with being afraid, man. What are you even afraid of, anyway? That you're weak? That you're alone? Well, none of that is true, Akira. But you know what? It doesn't matter if I tell you that because you're the one who has to overcome that fear. I can't overcome it for you or tell you how to do it; it's something only you can do because if you don't, it's going to haunt you for the rest of your life, do you understand me?" Akira nodded as Tetsuya continued. "Listen to me, you are not weak, Akira. Don't let him or anybody tell you otherwise. You're a strong kid with a gigantic heart, and I believe you can overcome that fear inside you. Not only that, but I also believe you have the will to overcome anything life throws at you."

"You think so?" Akira began to smile slightly.

"I know so," Tetsuya smiled and put his arm around Akira. "Because you're my brother, and I love you, man." Akira began to feel better. "Hey, what was that song again that you really like to play? The one Naito taught you, something…along?"

"'Move Along?'"

"Yeah, how did it go again?" Akira looked away and thought for a second.

"When all you've gotta keep is strong, move along, move along, like I know you do…"

"Keep going," Tetsuya smiled.

"…and even when your hope is gone, move along, move along, just to make it through… But I don't understand the lyrics."

"Ask Mom; she'll tell you what they mean."

"You can't tell me?"

"I could, but I think it'll make her happy if you ask her. All I'll say is that it's good advice for you." Akira smiled as he grabbed hold of his brother, who reciprocated his hug. Tetsuya pulled back. "Hey, you know what?"

"What?" Tetsuya pulled something out from beneath his shirt.

"When Dad died, he left me this." He removed the family dog tag from around his neck. "Well, I say he left it to me, but the truth is I kinda just took it by default because… I dunno why, to be honest," Tetsuya chuckled and shrugged. "But that was unfair because it's just as much yours as it is mine," he said as he put the dog tag around Akira's neck.

"Thanks, Tetsuya," Akira smiled; Tetsuya nodded and thought for a moment.

"I think I know what'll cheer you up. How about we take a trip to the lake this Saturday afternoon? Just you and me."

"The lake? Don't you have to work at the theater?"

"Nah, I can take off work one day just for you. And you know what else? You're finally going to make the jump."

"Really!?" Akira's face lit up.

"Really," Tetsuya smiled.

"You promise?"

"I promise," he nodded; Akira hugged him once again.

"You're the best brother ever, Tetsuya!"

"I know," Tetsuya cockily replied. "Now come on, you haven't had anything to eat yet, have you?" Akira shook his head. "Are you hungry?" Akira nodded. "Why don't I try and sneak you a snack?" Tetsuya smirked.

"Boys!?" Kairi called up. "Dinner's ready!" Akira and Tetsuya looked at each other, and Tetsuya chuckled.

"Welp, never mind."

---

**August 18th, 2018 — Theater Of Pain**

---

Akira Kurusu stared down the shadow of his alter-ego, Joker, as both readied their bladed weapons. For Joker, his weapon was a long, mechanical sword he wielded with one hand, and for Akira, it was a one-handed sword he dubbed Paradise Lost. Akira also had a silver 50. Cal Desert Eagle pistol holstered. Akira could see that Joker was about to attack at any moment. Without averting his gaze, Akira gave a warning to the Phantom Thieves.

"Whatever happens, don't intervene," he said in a dead-serious tone.

Despite the Phantom Thieves being weakened from their first fight with Joker, they still wanted to help, but Akira didn't want them to. They had risked enough for him already, and he didn't want them to die. Besides, this was his fight, and Akira knew he would win. He had to. Akira had regained some of his confidence; he began to feel like the person he was when he first formed the Phantom Thieves. Though, after all he went through recently, there was doubt still lingering in his mind. Akira began to wonder if all of that was really him. Did he break out of his shell by himself, or was it all Joker?

*Hmph, well, if that's how you want to play it…*

"LOOK OUT!" Futaba yelled at Akira.

Joker quickly charged at Akira with his sword. Akira managed to block his attack, but it knocked him back with a ludicrous amount of force, sending him flying through the air. Akira recovered in midair, backflipping to land on his feet. He was now off the stage and onto the seat-less auditorium floor. Like a gladiator in the middle of an arena, waiting for battle. Akira stood back up; he wasn't hurt, but the force of the impact from Joker's weapon colliding with his own caused the gash in his forehead to reopen. Akira tore the bandage off as blood began pouring down his face and into his mask. Nevertheless, Akira was undeterred. He simply wiped it off with his sleeve as Joker jumped off the stage and joined him on the ground before snapping his fingers. Suddenly, steel bars sprung up from the ground at the edge of the stage. They reached to the very top of the hall, imprisoning the Phantom Thieves, and ensuring they would not get involved in the ensuing battle.

*Deciding to go at it alone? Perhaps, a little bit of me did rub off on you, after all,* Joker chuckled.

"I can't deny it. You and I are similar," Akira reluctantly admitted. "But don't think for a second that we're the entirely the same. We aren't." Because of their past experiences, Yu and Rise expected Joker to finally transform into some kind of giant monster after Akira said that. To their relief, he didn't…yet.

*I am everything you want to be.* Joker twirled his blade.

"You're a monster."

*'I am thou, thou art I,' remember?* Joker grinned. *Things could have been so much easier if you had just accepted my offer, you stubborn bastard.*

"I'd rather die than give you control over my life," Akira glared at him.

*Fine,* Joker shrugged, *have it your way.*

Akira and Joker charged at each other; their swords collided once again, but they sideswiped each other. Joker launched himself in the air and tried to thrust his blade down at him, but Akira performed a backward handspring to avoid it. Clearly, dating a gymnast had paid off immensely. His back was now to the stage-turned-prison cell.

"Akira!" Kairi called out, grabbing the bars. Akira looked back for a brief moment, long enough for Kairi and the others to notice the blood flowing down his face, before focusing once again on Joker. "A-Are you okay?" she worriedly asked.

"Don't worry about me!" Akira answered without looking back. He recognized his mother's voice but had no time to think about the fact that she was here in the Metaverse or how Rise and Yu were both here as well. He and Joker lunged at each other once again. Their swords crossed; both stared deep into each other's eyes as they struggled for the upper hand. Akira got it.

*ARGH!* Joker was pushed back as Akira ripped off his mask.

"RAOUL!" he called upon his lone Persona before launching Eigaon, which hit Joker, causing him to stagger back.

*Not bad, kid. Let's see what else you got.* The corrupt shadow was shocked at how strong Akira was compared to his companions. Perhaps, he would have to pull out his ace in the hole. The two of them kept fighting while the Phantom Thieves watched powerlessly from their cell.

"We gotta get out there an' help!" Ryuji yelled. "Can we launch magic attacks through the bars? O-Or maybe use our guns?"

"No!" Sumire exclaimed. "We could risk hitting Akira!"

"Besides, it's not just the bars," Futaba began. "It looks like there's some kinda magic force field around the bars as well.

"What, you mean like Makarakarn?" Morgana asked. Makarakarn was a spell that shadows could use in order to repel magic attacks.

"That's as good an explanation as any. Any magic we throw at it will come right back at us."

"A real prison…" Ann somberly said as she examined the bars.

"This isn't a prison…" Yu huffed. "It's goddamn Guantanamo Bay." He grabbed the bars and realized the force field didn't stop him from being able to stick his arm through.

"I'm running a scan and trying to find a way to deactivate the cell, but it might take me a while," Futaba said, pulling out her laptop.

"Whatever you're going to do, do it quickly!" Rise said. "We can't leave Akira alone out there."

"We—" Kairi was about to say something, but cut herself off when she heard a door rattling from behind, past the two guillotines was indeed another golden door. "Guys! Look!" She pointed to the door. Everyone but Futaba turned around.

"Another door! Just like in the theaters!" Makoto said.

"That must be where the treasure is," Yusuke theorized. They could see the door was shaking, and they swore they heard a voice from the other side.

"I-Is someone in there…?" Haru asked. The sounds of battle diverted their attention back to the theater hall. The Phantom Thieves anxiously watched as their leader faced his demon.

---

Akira nimbly dodged the majority of Joker's attacks, though the injuries he suffered at the hands of the trio the previous evening ensured he didn't avoid all of them. Joker was quick on his feet as well, dodging Akira's curse attacks left and right. The only time the two did any damage to each other was when they got up close and personal. Joker hit Riot Gun on Akira, knocking him to the ground. Every time Akira got hit, there were audible gasps and a bit of cursing from the stage. The cursing was mostly from Ryuji.

*Should've warned you this would hurt.* Akira quickly recovered, kipping up like Shawn Michaels and shrugging off the attack.

"Just shut up and fight," Akira retorted before going back on the offensive.

The face-off between Akira and Joker was akin to two samurais fighting, or perhaps, and quite literally, like fighting your shadow. Akira and Joker were going move for move with each other. The sounds of gunfire and steel clashing echoed throughout the hall; pained grunts from either Akira or Joker also rang out. Soon it became like the film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," as Joker began to fly off the walls in an attempt to strike Akira down. The leader of the Phantom Thieves cut him off by using the golden chain he still had on him to swing onto the chandelier up top and swipe at Joker in midair, causing him to crash and burn to the ground.

*Hnngh…* Joker grunted.

"Had enough?" Akira asked as Joker stood back up and dusted himself off.

*Don't be ridiculous… I'm still in better condition than you.*

Joker launched Black Viper at Akira, but he missed. However, Akira dodging it did give Joker enough time to start getting the upper hand. Akira tried to distance himself and Joker, who was getting more and more ruthless in his attacks. He flipped and leapt through the air, attempting a few down shots, but missed them all. Now, Akira was down to his last bullet.

Akira fought harder than ever before, maybe even harder than when the Phantom Thieves faced off against Yaldabaoth. Akira had come so close to losing everything he cared about and walking away from everyone he held dear. He had suffered physically for the past year, as well as mentally and emotionally for much longer. He may have cast them aside and buried them deep in the past for the sake of helping others, but now was the time for Akira to confront his own demons and rid them from his heart for good. Or, at the very least, die trying.

Joker caught him with a slash to the abdomen and forcefully kicked him, causing Akira to go flying back into a wall. He got back up and used Heat Riser on himself to boost his skills, but it was ultimately futile. The blood from the wound in his forehead was getting in his eyes and began to cloud his vision, like the opening to a James Bond movie.

"RAOUL!" Akira desperately launched Eigaon and Phantom Snow, but missed entirely. Joker mockingly shook his head as he rushed and grabbed Akira by the throat, lifting him up with one hand. He threw Akira back across the hall towards the stage. The Phantom Thieves all gasped in horror as they watched Akira's body bounce off the steel bars and fall front first to the ground. The gong noise that the bars made when Akira's skull bounced off was still resonating.

"Akira! Look out!" Morgana tried to warn him. Akira got back up, groaning in pain, before realizing Joker was suddenly in front of him once again. He grabbed Akira and slammed his head against the bars a few more times before throwing him to the ground. He repeatedly stamped on his head, toying with him, all the while grinning profusely.

"You're going to kill him!" Ann worriedly yelled.

"Stop it! You bastard!" Makoto furiously added. He stopped his assault on Akira and turned to the Phantom Thieves.

*He's the bastard, not me,* Joker grinned as he approached the stage/cell ever so slightly, just close enough that their weapons couldn't touch him. While on the ground, Akira looked to his right and noticed Yu was subtly signaling to him.

"You vile monster!" Yusuke venomously shouted.

"We're going to make up pay!" Haru angrily added through her tears.

"WE'RE GONNA RIP YOU APART! YOU HEAR ME, YOU SON OF A BITCH!?" Ryuji banged his lead pipe on the bars.

*Uh-huh, sure you will,* Joker flatly responded before going back and stamping on Akira's head again. By this point, he was spitting out pints of blood. The Thieves kept shouting at Joker and slamming their weapons against the cell bars. Joker was getting frustrated. He grabbed Akira by the hair and lifted his head off the floor, holding it up in front of the group before putting his blade to his throat. The Thieves all stopped yelling and gasped.

"Akira…" Sumire quietly, stifling her gasp by covering her mouth.

*ONE MORE WORD COMES OUT OF ANY OF YOUR MOUTHS, AND I'M SLITTING HIS THROAT, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!* To show that he wasn't messing around, Joker shifted his blade; leaving a little cut on Akira's neck as the injured teen hissed in pain. Silence suddenly befell the theater. Joker smirked once again and looked at Akira, blade still to his throat. *By the way, same thing happens if that mask of yours disappears; you hear me, tough guy?* Akira didn't respond; it seemed like he was fading. *Hey! Stay with me, Akira. I'm not finished with you, yet.*

"Ngh…" Akira groaned slightly as he felt Joker leave another cut near his jugular. Not enough to kill him, but enough to hurt him; precise like a surgeon. "If you're trying to shave me…all I can say is…you're doing a piss-poor job…" Joker was not amused.

*Word of advice, don't crack wise to a guy holding a blade to your throat. I wouldn't want to 'accidentally' cut your head off.*

Another cut was left on Akira's throat. He felt powerless. Albert Einstein was right; time is relative to the people around, passively observing the sand falling through the hourglass. Akira understood what the physicist meant as Joker had his sword trained near his throat. He felt his whole life flashing by, memories both happy and sad, triumphs and tragedies, heartbreaks, and scars. He felt that, if he stayed with it, he could live an entire lifetime in that split second. It was a clichéd way of thinking, but Akira realized that nothing is a cliché when it's really happening in the moment. It was a personal apocalypse, plain and simple. It was almost funny; Akira even let out a soft chuckle.

*What, you got something you want to say to me?* Joker grinned.

"Yeah…" Akira, sleepy-eyed and blood streaking down the left side of his face, spat out some more red before answering. "Go fuck yourself." Joker slammed Akira's head back down against the ground and kicked him in the gut. Akira coughed, spit out more blood, and groaned in pain as he tried to catch his breath again. His body ached everywhere. He couldn't take much more of this. He wondered which part of him would fall off first. This wasn't his first beatdown; hell, this wasn't the only beating he had taken in the past twenty-four hours. Akira had been hit with physical and magic attacks, both in the real world and in the Metaverse, more times than he could remember, but this felt different. Like fate was sending him a message. Once he had his breath back, he rolled over on his back and looked up at Joker, who was still smirking.

*How about now? Anything else you want to tell me? Like, maybe…giving me a different answer?*

"What do you mean…?" Akira chuckled slightly but spoke through overwhelming pain. "…I thought I told you to go fuck yourself."

*Ha-ha-ha-ha…* Joker sarcastically chuckled before the shadow decided to stomp on Akira's left arm as hard as he could.

"GAAAARRGGGHHHH!" Akira wailed in pain. His body was battered, and it seemed like there wasn't a single orifice in his face that blood wasn't coming out of. The Thieves couldn't hold their tongues any longer.

"YOU FUCKING MONSTER!" Kairi yelled.

"Leave him alone!" Rise cried. Joker ignored them and picked Akira back up off the ground. He slammed his body against the cage, holding him by the collar with one hand. Akira was clutching his left arm in pain.

*I gotta tell you, for a guy who claims to be all quiet and shy, you sure got a knack for provocation.*

"Argh… I'm pretty sure I got that from you…hehe," Akira chuckled as Joker pulled him closer to his face. He did not look happy.

*Nothing wrong with a little laughter now and then, but you are really starting to piss me off,* he said, venomously. Akira felt like he was fading, but it didn't stop him for pushing the shadow's buttons further.

"…what are you gonna do about it…fuckface?" he said with a smirk. "You know, a gentleman always avenges the wrongdoings done to his friends, family, and lady…"

*How noble…* Joker sarcastically rolled his eyes. Akira's smirk slowly vanished and his joking tone morphed into deadly serious.

"You hurt my friends… You hurt my family… And you hurt Sumire… And for that, I'm going to gouge your motherfucking eyes out!"

*Is that so?* Joker said before chuckling.

"Laugh it up now. Because, by the time I'm done with you, I'll be scraping your ass from the bottom of my boot," Akira said before spitting blood in Joker's face. The shadow, unamused, while the blood off of his face.

*So, that's you wanna play, huh? Then let's try something.* Joker threw Akira down onto the ground. *You ever hear of the rope-a-dope fighting technique? Muhammad Ali used it against George Foreman back in 1974. You should be familiar with it; you're a good student, haha,* Joker laughed before continuing. *Basically, you let your opponent dish out offense in order to wear him out. But we're going to mix it up a bit. You hit me, I hit you. If I knock you down three times…well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Oh, and, uh, no Personas. I'll be fair and won't use any Persona attacks, but if I see that mask of yours disappear, or if that steampunk motherfucker shows up, I will slit your throat without hesitation, you hear me?* He walked over to Akira's prone body. *You wanna prove to me that you don't need me in order to survive? This is your chance. Get up.* Akira was slow to get back to his feet, but when he did, he stared Joker down. *You get the first shot. Come on, hit me.*

*Pow*

Akira obliged, hitting Joker in the face, but it was a weak effort.

*That's it?* Joker scoffed. *My turn.*

*BAM*

Joker landed a hit of his own, knocking Akira down in one. The Thieves gasped.

*That's one for me. Get up.* Akira did and it was beat-for-beat the same thing. Akira weakly punched Joker, who shrugged it off and knocked Akira back down. *That's two; guess you're not what I expected.* Joker smirked, enjoying every second of tormenting Akira while his friends and family watched in horror, powerless to do anything. Despite the fact that the Thieves being on stage and the performers out in the auditorium, it was like a live performance of the films they had previously witnessed. People say that some shows are better live, but not this one. *I told you; you need me. Without me, you're nothing but an empty shell, a blank slate.* Akira groaned. Getting up was getting harder and harder. We wanted to keep fighting; he had to. But even he had limits, and Joker was taking him right to them. Joker sauntered over to him and grabbed him by the hair, lifting his head slightly off the ground before talking right in his ear. Akira clenched his teeth and breathed loudly through his nose, droplets of blood spilling out as a result. *You don't need me, huh? Well, that's bullshit! You're weak! You're pathetic! You say you're not!? Then get up!* Joker slammed Akira's head back down on the ground. *GET UP! … GET UP!*

Suddenly, something inside Akira snapped. He stopped clenching his teeth, and the look of anger on his face disappeared. Instead, he felt…nothing. He quickly got back up, like a man possessed. It was as if the pain throughout his body had evaporated. He walked over to Joker and hit him in the face, maintaining his blank expression.

*POW*

*Argh!* Joker grunted, before chuckling. *Hehe, not bad, there's that edge I was looking for. Seems like it's starting to come back. My turn!* Joker hit threw a punch, but Akira didn't go down, he barely even moved, only stumbling back slightly but still standing. His expression didn't even change. Joker was surprised. Akira threw another punch.

*POW*

*Argh! Mother—* Joker didn't admit, but he was getting worried. He hit Akira gain, but the boy barely moved. Rather than wait for Akira, he immediately threw another punch. Again, Akira barely reacted; he was no-selling Joker's offense. It felt like the biggest sign of disrespect. Akira doesn't know if that was his intention, he barely knew how he was able to do this. Maybe it had something to do with his younger self's shadow. Either way, Joker's surprise turned to confusion as he was unable to knock Akira down for a second time. *What the hell is going on?*

*POW*

Akira hit Joker; the shadow stumbled. The two rapidly traded blows back and forth before Akira got the upper hand. Akira hit Joker again, and again, and again.

*POW* *POW* *POW*

The Thieves were watching all of this happen; some even smiled, cheering him on in their minds as Akira treated Joker like one of Protein Lovers' punching bags. Eventually, Akira managed to knock Joker down, but the shadow decided to play dirty. Out of nowhere, he used Black Viper and launched Akira back away from him. Akira fell to the ground and the pain came back.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?" Yu angrily yelled.

*Huh, guess I don't play fair, after all, hehe,* Joker chuckled. As Akira tried to get back up, Joker walked over to him and kicked him in the head.

"You dirty rotten cheater…" Morgana huffed.

*I will say; he put up a good fight. But, like all of you, it wasn't good enough.*

"…argh…ngh…" Akira was on his knees; his arm was hurting, his body was falling apart, and his head spinning as he breathed in the smell of blood. Once again, all eyes were on him. The Thieves were sad and worried, and Joker was smiling. As the pain returned, so did his feelings; Akira was angry.

*You know, the Doc said it was good to let it all out, sometimes. Oh, but wait, hahaha…* Joker laughed. *You can't cry.* Akira was fuming with rage; Joker was pushing every single one of his buttons. *I told you; I can feel your anger. I am a part of you. We are in your heart after all. And I can tell, by the look on your face, that you really need to let loose, so, go ahead…* Akira, despite being half blind from all the gore in his eyes, looked at the frightened faces of his companions and then back up at Joker. He could feel the rage rising up within him; he wanted to let out. *Go on…let it all out.*

"…"

*Cry for me…* Joker smirked; Akira took a deep breath.

"…aaaaAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Akira let out a blood-curdling scream of rage so resonant, it felt like the theater was shaking. He was still breathing heavily, Joker was still smirking.

*Feel better?* he mockingly asked. In response, Akira flipped him the bird. *Aww, that's cute…*

"FUCK YOU!" Akira angrily yelled.

*Hm, that's not very nice, you know?* the shadow sarcastically said before grabbing Akira and tossing him out to the center of the hall. Akira hit the ground hard. Even with blood obscuring his view, he spotted his blade not far in front of him. Since Joker was still near the cage, away from him, Akira used this time alone wisely. *That guy really needs to learn some manners. Wouldn't you agree?* Joker asked the Thieves who only responded with fuming looks as he wiped the remaining blood and saliva from his face. *Don't worry, you'll all get yours soon enough. For now, just sit back and uh, enjoy the show, hehe. See you~!* Joker told the Thieves with a smile and a wink.

"YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU! DO YOU HEAR ME!?" Sumire angrily threatened Joker, the same way Akira had threatened Kaneshiro's shadow when he held her captive more than two years ago. She had clearly changed a lot since then, or at least, her vocabulary had. Joker walked up to the cell. He saw the fire that was burning within her, but he didn't feel threatened. Joker looked Sumire dead in the eye.

*No, you won't. There's nothing you can do to me,* Joker grinned before turning around and walking back towards Akira.

"Oracle!" Rise worriedly yelled.

"I know!" Futaba focused on her laptop screen.

"FUTABA!" Sumire frantically shouted.

"I KNOW! I KNOW! I'M TRYING!" Futaba yelled back as she kept typing away at her keyboard, the sound of quickly clacking keys resonated as she desperately tried to disable the bars separating them from the fight. Joker took his time, slowly sauntering like the egomaniac he was. He was confident, perhaps too confident.

*It's such a shame. All of this could've been avoided; even your little girlfriend could have lived. But it seems like that won't be the case. They'll all be dead soon enough. Quite frankly, I don't give a damn if I die; anything is better than staying trapped in here. But allow me to delineate the bright side for you; you're not too far off from a reunion with dear-old dad and brother, hehehe,* Joker chuckled. *You'll be a sweetheart and tell them that Joker sent you, right? That'd be nice. But first, I'm going to make you suffer before I make you and your pitiful teammates disappear for good.*

"…don't misunderstand…" For some reason, Akira thought of the final time he saw Akechi. Joker flipped Akira over onto his back and raised his sword in the air. "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S GOING TO DISAPPEAR!" Joker's blade came down, but Akira caught it in his left hand. He let out a small cry of pain and gritted his teeth as he felt the sharp steel pierce his hand's skin.

*BANG*

*ARGH!* Joker was caught off guard by Akira grabbing the blade that he didn't notice him pulling out his gun with his right hand and shooting him in the gut with his remaining bullet. The shadow staggered back, pulling his blade with him that cut through Akira's glove, slicing the palm of his hand in the process. *You really want to die that much, you idiot!?*

"Don't worry; it's not lethal," Akira smirked as he stood back up.

*You're not hurt!?* Joker was shocked; Akira shook his head. *HOW!?*

"Thanks to my friends." While The Phantom Thieves were yelling at Joker, Yu took the time to discreetly hand the last bottle of medicine to Akira through the bars. He grabbed it and pocketed it with Joker being none the wiser. He didn't plan on Joker stamping on his left arm, though. The medicine helped with the pain, but Akira definitely felt something in his arm snap. "As long as I have them, I can handle anything thrown at me."

*YOU NEED ME!* Joker yelled.

"Hmph," Akira smirked, "no, I don't."

Akira called upon Raoul once again. Akira put Joker to sleep with Phantom Snow before hitting him with a severe physical attack that knocked Joker down, who then got back up but felt dizzy. The medicine worked wonders as Akira seemed unhindered by Joker's previous offense. He ripped off his left glove and threw it down before examining his hand. Despite the medicine's potency, Akira was still deeply injured. His arm was, perhaps, even broken, and he now had a giant bloody cut across his left palm, but that did anything but stop him. Feeling like he was on an adrenaline high, he picked up his blade and went to town on Joker. Akira began to scream in furious anger as he slashed at his evil shadow. Slash after slash before Akira knocked Joker further back with a kick before leaping into the air.

"RAOUL!" Akira pulled off his mask and called upon his Persona in midair. Joker was hit with an apocalyptic curse attack that felt like a one-person All-Out Attack from Akira, who landed on the ground with his back turned to the stage. Joker wasn't knocked out, but he was down, and Akira hoped he'd stay that way. He grabbed Paradise Lost with his right hand and kept it trained on Joker. "You're finished."

*Why?* Joker began panting as he lay on the ground. *Why do you keep fighting?*

"You want the answer? Just look at the people behind me," Akira began, still staring down Joker. "You wanna know my reasons for fighting? Allow me to name them for you: Ryuji Sakamoto, Ann Takamaki, Yusuke Kitagawa, Makoto Niijima, Futaba Sakura, Haru Okumura, Morgana…and Sumire Yoshizawa… I could keep going, but I feel like I've made my point," Akira smirked.

*Your friends don't hold you up! They drag you down! They drag you into their stupid problems and offer you nothing but hollow promises in return! Yet, you still fight for them! WHY!? YOU DON'T NEED THEM!*

"Jesus Christ, you sound like Akechi." Akira began to laugh softly.

*Hmph.*

"Grunt all you want, but you two are more like him than you think. Like you, he didn't understand the bond I had with my friends. But that was because he never had true friends of his own. He never had people who held him up, people he could rely on, and I felt sorry for him. You, however, aren't human. You're just a shadow. You'll never be able to understand the bond I have with them—the love I have for the Phantom Thieves, my friends, and my family. And because of that, I also feel sorry for you… well… almost." Joker was silent for a moment before he began laughing.

*You're right. I'm not human… But I am more than just a shadow.* The ground began to shake slightly; Akira could feel it. *You see, you already set me free once when you killed that false god. You broke the chains that bound me to you, paving the way for me to become something more.* The hall shook more and more; Joker grinned as he put his hand up to his mask. *I still have one card left to play.*

"What are you doing?" Akira asked as Joker laughed maniacally.

*…showing you my true form,* Joker winked as he began to pull his mask off.

"JOKER, NO!" Akira yelled as he tried to stop him…

*Pillage him…*

…but it was too late.

*SATANAEL!*

Joker threw his mask away. The blue fire that engulfed him sent Akira flying backward. He had to cover his eyes due to the fire being blindingly bright, but when he looked back, Akira saw the second son of God, the demon lord he had used to punish Yaldabaoth, the God of Control, on Christmas Eve almost two years ago. Akira saw Satanael. The demon lord stood tall, like a Kaiju monster. But Akira wasn't Godzilla, and for the first time in this fight, he was legitimately afraid.

"Fuck…" Akira said, looking up at Satanael; he wasn't sure he could do this alone. The demon lord roared before he went on the attack, trying to end Akira's life and destroying parts of the theater hall in the process, including wiping out members of the cognitive audience in the boxes. Akira dodged what he could, but was caught by a hit from Satanael after narrowly escaping falling debris. Akira was down on the ground, and he struggled to make it back to his feet, but he did, just in time to see Satanael stand before him, prepping an almighty attack. It felt like his luck had finally run out. Akira closed his eyes and awaited the inevitable. Feeling like this was it, Akira realized that he was ready to die.

"Mwehehe, I don't think so…" a female voice said. As Satanael launched his almighty Black Viper, a green dome formed around Akira, causing the attack to rebound, and hit Satanael instead. Akira opened his eyes and saw Satanael stagger back into the balconies before falling to the ground. Akira was confused. Suddenly, the dome around him disappeared, and Akira felt a hand on his right shoulder.

"Sorry, man," Ryuji began with a smile as Akira pivoted his head. "I know you said you were lone wolfin' this one, but there's no way we're lettin' you take on this giant fucker by yourself."

"Definitely not!" Ann said, walking to his left. "You're totes strong, don't get me wrong, but I'm pretty sure even you think this is too much for you," she chuckled.

"Hehe, you're right about that," Akira chuckled. He looked behind him; the bars around the stage were gone. He looked around him to see his companions standing by his side. "I can't believe it took me so long to say this, but, I could use some help…"

"You have nothing to worry about. We'll beat him together," Yusuke said.

"You're not alone, not when you have us, Akira," Haru smiled.

"Together, we can overcome anything!" Makoto added.

"We've beaten a god before; a demon lord should be nothing," Morgana smirked.

"It's gonna take a lot to stop us. Phantom Thieves for Life!" Futaba exclaimed.

"Like I'm gonna let my cousin take on that demon scumbag by himself, pfft," Rise scoffed.

"I know I'm not. Don't worry; I got your back, Akira," Yu assured him.

"As do I, sweetie, always," Kairi added. Finally, Akira saw Sumire come around from the right. He couldn't help but smile.

"You've helped us and saved our lives numerous times, both here and in the real world," Sumire began. "It's time we return the favor and save you for once, Akira."

"Just say the word, leader," Ryuji smiled as Satanael got back up. Akira and the Phantom Thieves readied themselves. Their leader took a deep breath and smirked before making a declaration.

"It's showtime!"

---

The Phantom Thieves spent most of the fight cowering behind the debris, avoiding Satanael's attacks. They didn't have much stamina left, but they all had enough to launch their most potent magic attacks. Since Satanael was such a big target, missing him wasn't an issue. The issue was that Satanael was a tough son of a bitch. He shrugged off most of their attacks, their melee weapons weren't doing a whole lot of damage, and their guns were empty.

"We're not going to be able to beat him like this!" Ann yelled.

"He's resistant to everything-wait! Oracle! Check this out!" Rise yelled.

"That's it! That's his weakness!" Futaba exclaimed.

"What element is it!?" Yu asked.

"It's not an element! He has a weak spot! It's beneath his mask!"

"What!? How we gonna get his mask off!?" Ryuji asked.

"I'll handle it!" Akira began. "I have a plan, but I'll need a distraction!"

"What do you need us to do!?" Sumire asked.

"Oracle! That protective dome! How long can you keep it up for!?" Akira asked.

"A few seconds, tops!"

"I'm gonna need you to hold it for at least thirty seconds!"

"Uh, I don't think I'll be able to keep it up for that long! I don't have enough power!"

"If we all combine the powers of our Personas, we can keep it up longer!" Morgana suggested.

"Will that work!?" Makoto asked.

"…maybe!?" Morgana reluctantly said.

"MAYBE!?" Rise yelled.

"You're not filling me with a lot of confidence, Mona!" Futaba added.

"Look, it's worth a shot!" Yu said. "Don't worry, Akira; we'll cover you!"

"Speaking of 'shot,' I'll need a gun too! Anyone got any rounds left!?" Akira asked. Most of the Thieves came up empty, except for one.

"Here! Heads up!" Kairi yelled out as she tossed Akira one of her Navy revolvers. "Last bullet! Make it count!"

"Trust me; one's all I'm gonna need!" Akira smirked.

"We believe in you, Akira!" Haru said.

"Count on us!" Yusuke said.

"I always do!" The action, the strategies, the formulation of attack plans; Akira had to admit, he really missed this. Satanael found the Phantom Thieves standing before him. Drunk with power, he didn't notice there was one missing. He prepared to fire a modified version of Megidolaon.

"Get ready, everyone!" Futaba shouted. "Here it comes!" Satanael fired a beam of almighty. "NOW!"

"PERSONAAAAA!"

The Phantom Thieves all called upon their Personas, as Futaba brought up Final Guard. Suddenly, it wasn't just Necronomicon protecting everyone, but also the combined powers of Zorro, Captain Kidd, Carmen, Goemon, Johanna, Milady, Cendrillon, Izanagi-No-Okami, Himiko, and Martha. The clash between Megidolaon and the Persona-powered protective dome sent shockwaves throughout the theater hall.

"AKIRA! NOW!" Sumire yelled. Akira used the debris of the theater to scamper up Satanael and wrapped his golden chain around one of the demon lord's horns to reach his head. Akira used all of his force in his right hand and whatever he had remaining in his left to pull the mask off Satanael. He was able to remove it, exposing his face and weak spot, causing Satanael to howl in pain.

"Hurts, doesn't it!? That one was for me!" Akira menacingly yelled as he began the next step in his plan. He whipped out his mother's revolver and aimed it right between the crimson eyes of the demon lord. "And this one…" Akira cocked the hammer. "…is for my family."

*BANG*

*AAAARRRRGGGHHHHH*

The bullet pierced Satanael's face, but Akira paid a high price for it. As Satanael was still casting the Megidolaon beam, it began to shoot out of his face, right into Akira. No one noticed that he was launched back through the air. Satanael, meanwhile, began to stagger; his body began to shine, but unlike the boy from before, rays of light began shooting out from all over him.

"THE HELL'S GOIN' ON!?" Ryuji yelled.

"HE'S GOING NUCLEAR! HANG ON TIGHT!" Futaba warned.

*AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH*

Satanael let out one more roar before exploding into a beam of blinding light, sending more seismic energy throughout the theater. The Thieves had to close their eyes for a second, but once they reopened them, they saw Joker, lying on the ground, out for the count. Their Personas went away, and Futaba finally put the protective shield down. Everyone was tired, the fight took a lot out of them.

"Everyone *pant* *pant*, okay?" Yu asked, out of breath.

"I'm so *pant* tired… I can *pant* barely stand," Rise responded.

"Tell *pant* me about it…" Ann said

"…mrrrrrr-meeeeeoooowwwwwwww." Morgana was lying on the ground.

"Mona-chan?" Haru asked.

"Hmmm…five more minutes…" the feline responded.

"I was unaware *pant* you had that much *pant* strength, Oracle…" Yusuke said.

"Can't talk. Stamina depleted. Need sleep," Futaba said, stiff like a robot and practically asleep while standing up. They were all exhausted, but they caught their breath and looked around the theater hall, or what was left of it.

"Damn, what a mess, hehe…" Ryuji chuckled.

"Wait a second…" Makoto began as she looked around the group. "Where's-"

"AKIRA!" Sumire shouted. Everyone looked behind them and gasped as they saw Akira lying on the stage floor, eyes closed and unmoving. His face was messed up, blood trickled out of his nose, the gash in his forehead, and from cuts on his lip. They rushed over and checked on him. Sumire dropped to her knees and grabbed him as she began welling up. "No! NO! Please, Akira! Wake up, please! PLEAAAASSSSEEEE!" Sumire sobbed, holding his near-lifeless body in her arms. He still wasn't moving. The others were beginning to well up as well. Yu went to check his pulse; Akira was alive, but Yu could feel that his heartbeat was slow.

"A-Akira…cuz…no…PLEASE!" Rise began loudly sobbing into Yu's shoulder, who held her tightly, himself having a few tears in his eyes.

"No…it c-can't be…" Haru cried as she held on to Makoto.

"Please…Akira…" Makoto wept quietly as she held Haru in her arms. "…please, don't leave us…"

"Nuh-nuh-nuh-no…c-c'mon, man…" Ryuji cried on his knees. "W-Wake up…we-we're not done yet…"

"P-Please… c-come back…" Ann grabbed onto Ryuji as she started sobbing harder. "Ryuji…please…don't tell me he's gone…"

"I… I-I'm sorry… I shouldn't have left you…" Morgana closed his eyes as tears ran through his furry face, weeping for his partner, his best friend. Kairi tried repeatedly to call upon Martha to use Mediaharan, but her stamina was entirely depleted. Despite removing her mask, Martha didn't appear, and their medicine was all gone. She couldn't do anything to save him.

"M-My baby… no…" Kairi kneeled and started quietly sobbing. Then she wailed. "…NOOOooooo!" That did it for the others as well. Everyone was shedding tears. Yusuke silently sobbed as he held Futaba in his arms; she was crying into his chest as she couldn't bear to even look at Akira. She didn't want to believe it; none of them did. They didn't want to believe that Akira Kurusu was really dead.

Suddenly, Akira's mask began to glow, and so did he for a brief moment. Then, his eyes shot open as he sharply gasped for air. Everyone stopped sobbing and kneeled all around him.

"A-A-Akira…?" Sumire shakily asked; Akira took a few breaths before responding.

"Thank God for Life Aid," he said with a wry smile; The others were not pleased with his quip.

"YOU JERK!" Futaba yelled. "YOU'RE WORSE THAN RYUJI!"

"What are you going to do? Leave me lying on the sidewalk by a streetlamp?" Akira joked. The others growled at him, but their frustration quickly turned to relief, and then happiness as they wiped their tears. Ryuji, Sumire, and Kairi tried to help him up. "Ow! Argh!" Akira hissed in pain.

"What's wrong?" Sumire worriedly asked.

"It's my arm…" Akira quietly said, holding his left arm. "It's definitely broken…and, well, everything else hurts too. Argh!" he grunted.

"Ryuji! Go easy on him!" Makoto worriedly exclaimed. Ryuji shot her a look.

"Why you puttin' this all on me!?"

"Can you walk?" Kairi asked Akira.

"Y-Yeah. I got it…" he responded. Sumire carried his right arm around her shoulder. He looked and pointed at Ryuji's ascot. "Mind if I borrow that?"

"Oh, sure, here." Ryuji removed it and handed it to Akira.

"Thanks," Akira said, turning it into a sling for his injured arm. "How does it look?" he asked.

"Ha, not bad at all!" Ann beamed.

"Pretty cool!" Ryuji began. "You look like a gorilla fighter or somethin.'"

"Huh?" Akira raised an eyebrow.

"It's 'guerilla,' you idiot!" Morgana chided.

"Ain't that what I said?" Ryuji asked, confused.

"No! You said 'gorilla,' like the dumb ape you are!"

"Shuddup, you stupid cat!"

"Guys! Both of you, shut up!" Makoto fumed; she calmed down and turned to Akira. "I'm so happy you're okay!" she smiled.

"We were so worried about you, Akira!" Haru added, also smiling.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Yusuke asked.

"I'll be fine once we're out of here," Akira answered before his attention turned to Yu and Rise. "Wow…" Akira began chuckling. "So, you guys are Persona users too?" They smiled and nodded. "I can't believe it, hehe."

"You better believe it, kiddo!" Rise exclaimed with a smile of relief on her face.

"Still can't believe you're one, either," Yu added.

"Nice going out there," Akira complimented them.

"Hey, it's been a while, but Yu and I haven't lost our touch, heehee," Rise giggled before putting an arm around her cousin. "It's good to see you again, cuz," she smiled. Akira smiled back before then looking at the other new member of the Phantom Thieves, who used her bandana to clean the blood off his face.

"Is that really you, Mom?" Akira asked; Kairi softly smiled and nodded. "Tch, my cousin and my mother are Persona users… that's pretty insane, not gonna lie," Akira smiled and shook his head.

"I'll say. I'm still not over the fact that Morgana can talk," Kairi chuckled. "The name's Viper, though."

"Viper, huh? Nice code name," Akira nodded. "Nice outfit too."

"Back at you!" she chuckled. "I have to say; it looks better on you than it does him." Kairi and everyone glanced over at Joker, who was still knocked out in the middle of the ruined auditorium.

"Right…him," Akira huffed. He looked at the guillotines on the stage.

"What are you going to do?" Rise asked him.

"What I came here to do. I'm going to put him back in his place," Akira said as he started walking. The others tried following him, but he stopped them. "Give me just one second, please?" Everyone nodded, and he walked over to Joker by himself. His foot brushed against Joker's sword on the ground. Akira decided to pick it up and bring it with him for insurance. As he approached him, Joker began to wake up. He opened his eyes and sat up. He was shocked to see Akira standing over him with his own sword aimed at his face.

*How. The. Fuck are you still standing?* Akira didn't respond and didn't flinch. Joker could feel that his power was gone entirely. There was no reason to fight anymore; he knew he had lost. He began to laugh softly. *I gotta hand it to you, Akira. You're a lot tougher than I gave you credit for.* Akira threw the sword off to the side before offering Joker his right hand up. Joker scoffed but accepted. He tried walking away, but Akira pulled his arm back and looked him in the eye, angrily saying two words to him.

"Guillotine. Now."

*Yeah, yeah, I know…* Joker sighed. *Whatever. I did say anything was better than staying trapped here. Sometimes, you just gotta take what you can get. Not that I'm happy about it, but if this is the exit I'm offered…well…then fuck it.* He shrugged. Akira led Joker back to the stage where the guillotines were placed. His mask disappeared from his face as particles of light flew into the air before the young boy returned. Akira looked at him and smiled.

*Thank you for your help,* the boy said as he willingly placed himself in one of the lunettes.

"I should be thanking you," Akira replied before looking at Joker, who sighed once again.

*I still don't get how you were able to defeat me…with a dead arm, no-less.*

"Heh, you'd be surprised how much I can get done with just one arm," Akira smirked before turning to Sumire and winking; she smiled back at him before he re-focused his attention on Joker, who was looking elsewhere.

*You're broken, battered, bruised, and bleeding, yet you still beat me and are quipping about it…*

"You should see me on a good day," Akira smirked. "Besides, in a life-or-death situation, I refuse to lose." Joker rolled his eyes at Akira's response.

*And here I thought someone with nothing to lose was the most dangerous adversary?* Akira looked at the Phantom Thieves before looking back at Joker and smiling.

"Someone with everything to lose is just as dangerous." Akira smirked; Joker scoffed. "But that's not all…"

*Oh…?*

"See, here's the thing," Akira began. "I was you, at one point. And don't mean two years ago, I mean before then, waaaayy before. The kid who preferred to be alone, who was okay with not having any friends. That was what connected us. But what you don't get is that people change. After I erased Mementos and went home, I changed, but you didn't change with me. You stayed the same arrogant, hot-tempered show-off I was when I led the Phantom Thieves. You didn't grow with me, so you hated what I became. You thought I needed your help, but all you ended being was a problem trying to be a solution." Joker huffed and looked down at the ground as Akira continued. "I won't deny that you helped me, and even saved me in some cases, but otherwise, you're wrong. I'm not the Trickster anymore. I don't need to be rehabilitated, or save the world from ruin. I don't need you anymore, Joker. You're not me. You're just a part of me, and that's all you'll ever be. You thought that I needed to fully accept you in order to be free, but the truth is, it's actually the opposite…"

*Is it now?* Joker folded his arms.

"Yeah, it is. I don't need to accept you, you need to accept me, not as Joker, but as Akira. Kurusu. I know who I am. I like who I am! And I am proud of who I am!" Akira yelled at him.

*Tch, well, good for you,* Joker sarcastically said, stopping short of giving a slow-clap. *I still don't buy this idea that you don't need me anymore, though.* Akira stepped up to Joker and looked him dead in the eye.

"Listen to me very carefully, you son of a bitch, because I'm going to say this once. I control my life, not you. You have no power over me, anymore." Akira got up close and personal to Joker; his face inches away from his shadow's. "I am the dominant persona; do you understand me?" Joker said nothing as he averted his gaze. "Look at me," Akira demanded. There was no response. "Joker! Look. Me. In the eye!" he ordered as he raised his voice at his shadow. Joker reluctantly did as he was told. "Do. You. Understand me?"

*…yeah,* Joker sighed. *I do.*

"Then get in the goddamn guillotine, now." The Phantom Thieves smiled and looked on with pride as Akira told his shadow who was really in charge. Joker took a step back and laughed before mockingly putting his hands up in surrender.

*I don't get you at all, Akira,* Joker began. *You really are one crazy son of a bitch.*

"It takes one to know one." Akira and Joker exchanged glares one more time before the latter reluctantly inserted himself in the other guillotine's lunette. Akira walked over to the release handle that was for both machines.

"W-Wait, are you really going to…?" Yu asked, trailing off; Akira nodded.

"Don't worry; I know what I'm doing," he assured him.

"O-Oh, uh, I'm sorry, I'm just going to, um, look away for a second…" Kairi said as she and the others turned around, not wanting to watch a child be executed.

"How can you be so casual about this stuff?" Rise asked without looking back. "Actually, I don't want to know…"

"You wouldn't believe how many Personas I had executed during my time in the Velvet Room," Akira casually said, causing Rise to cringe visibly.

"I think even that was too much information," Yu chuckled.

*Will you just get it done already!? Christ!* Joker yelled.

"Any last words?" Akira asked; Joker huffed.

*I hate all of-*

*SLAM*

"Sorry, didn't quite catch that," Akira smirked as he pulled on the déclic. Joker barely got out his last words before the blades came slamming down. After their execution, their energies combined before everyone's eyes and transformed into a singular shadow. It was Akira, young-adult age, back in his prisoner's uniform from his rehabilitation. The shadow looked at the real Akira.

*Joker…?* Akira shook his head.

"Not anymore, he's gone," the shadow looked down. "What's wrong?" Akira asked.

*Without Joker… I don't know if I can survive.* Akira understood where he was coming from. It seemed his doubts weren't unfounded after all. His shadow truly believed that the only reason Akira changed in Tokyo was because of Joker. Akira placed his right hand on his shadow's shoulder.

"You can, and you will…because you have them." The shadow looked at the Phantom Thieves, who all smiled at him. "With them, and plenty of others at your side, you'll stand unbroken and be able to face anything life throws at you." The shadow looked Akira in the eye as he continued. "You're not weak, you're strong…and you don't have to be afraid anymore. You're not alone." The shadow softly smiled as he began to glow. Akira removed his hand from his shoulder. Before the shadow disappeared, he gave Akira one last message.

*Thank you…for setting me free.* And like that, he was gone. The shadow had disappeared and returned to the owner's real self (not like it had to go very far).

*Well, that sure was something, hehe.* The Phantom Thieves turned around. The original usher was back, uniform and all. He walked out of the now unchained and open will seed door, carrying something under his arm. However, something was different about him.

"Woah! It's you!" Ann exclaimed. "You have a face now!"

*Yeah, I do. Thanks to him.* The usher pointed at Akira. Akira turned around, and his heart dropped. The usher did indeed have a face.

"I knew it…" Rise quietly gasped, holding back a tear.

*Sorry, I was such a dick to most of you, especially you, blondie.* The usher pointed at Ryuji. *Though, to be fair, you are pretty vulgar.*

"Hey!" Ryuji took offense.

"You know it's true," Morgana added.

*What do you say we start fresh, huh?* The usher stuck his free hand out. *Hi, my name is Tetsuya,* the usher introduced himself, saying his name without any distorted audio, destroying everyone's ears.

"Y-You're Akira's brother?" Sumire asked.

*Older brother, but yes,* Tetsuya clarified. *Or a cognition of him, at least.* Everyone was speechless. Most of them only found out this person existed not twenty-four hours ago, and the three people present who did know of him didn't know what to think. *Mom, Rise, it's good to see you both again,* he smiled.

"D-Did you know it was us before?" Rise asked.

*No, but I did feel something when you begged me for help. I hope you all can forgive me for some of the shit I put you all through…oh, uh, I mean 'crap,' sorry, Mom.*

"It's okay…" Kairi was in tears but was still smiling. "I miss you so much, my boy…"

*I miss you too,* Tetsuya smiled. *Now, if you all don't mind, I'd like a moment alone with my brother.* Everyone nodded and left him alone with Akira, who still couldn't believe what he was seeing. True, he had seen cognitions of dead people before, such as Futaba's mother, but seeing his own brother in this way was something else entirely. Whether it was good or not, Akira couldn't tell. *Of all the ways you could've imagined me, it had to be in this stupid outfit?* Tetsuya looked at his usher outfit and chuckled. *You know how much I hated working at that place, hehehe,* Akira struggled to get the words out through the sadness he was feeling.

"…I-I-uh…"

*Hmm?*

"…I'm so sorry…" Akira spoke quietly and looked down.

*For what?* Tetsuya raised his eyebrow.

"…if I hadn't forced you to jump…you'd still be alive…"

*Oh, little brother, you're still harping on that? Jeez, you're like an angel with Parkinson's disease, hehe…* Tetsuya chuckled before getting serious. *I'm glad I finally get a chance to tell you this, Akira: It's not your fault.* Akira looked back up. *You understand me? You didn't force me to do anything. I jumped with you because I knew it would make you happy. If anything, it's my fault for saying yes in the first place.*

"But…you died."

*True, but things happen, and sometimes, there's nothing we can do. If me dying meant you got to live, then I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.* Akira looked back down. *Hey,* Tetsuya began. *How did that song go again?* He didn't say which song, but Akira knew what song he was talking about.

"…When all you got to keep is strong…move along, move along…"

*Like I know you do…*

"…And even when your hope is gone…move along, move along…"

*Just to make it through,* Tetsuya smiled and put a hand on Akira's right shoulder. Akira looked up at the cognition of his brother.

"…I understand what the lyrics mean now…" Akira softly smiled.

*Good, then take them to heart. Like I said, it's good advice,* Tetsuya winked. The two brothers smiled at each other. Akira closed his eyes, taking in this final moment with his late sibling. Suddenly, the whole theater started to shake. The Palace was crumbling. He could hear his companions yelling at him.

"AKIRA!"

"COME ON!"

"WE HAVE TO GO NOW!"

*Sounds like you better get going.* Tetsuya looked around him. *Looks like we're going out of business,* he joked. *Oh, but, uh, I think this is yours. After all, you all fought through hell to get that, right?* Tetsuya handed Akira a film reel container. It was labeled, "Happiness." *Now go! If you die here, I'll kill you, haha.* Akira opened his eyes and took the container. He started running back but stopped and turned around.

"Tetsuya?"

*Yeah?*

"…are you with me?" Tetsuya smiled and nodded.

*Always, Akira.*

Akira exhaled. This was the most he felt like crying in seven years, but he still couldn't, not that this was the time anyway. Tetsuya stood still and watched as the Phantom Thieves disappeared from the main theater hall. Akira caught up with the others in the lobby. They all escaped out the front door as debris was falling all around them. Once outside, the Phantom Thieves kept running down the little hill to reach the cemetery gate, but not Akira. He stopped and turned back to watch the theater crumble to pieces. Watching his Palace, which took the form of the theater that took his father away from him, nearly tore him apart from the inside, and remove him from the ones he loved collapse before his eyes…

…Akira didn't know how he felt, but it wasn't anything good.

---

*You have returned to the real world. The destination, *Theater of Pain,* has been deleted.*

"Did...*pant* did we do it…?" Kairi asked, trying to catch her breath.

"Yes *pant*…I think so...*pant*" Sumire responded. The Phantom Thieves stood outside the cemetery gates, trying to catch their breaths. The rain had stopped while they were in the Metaverse. The sky was still gray, but the ragged clouds were slowly fading, giving way to sunlight.

"Man…" Ryuji began. "That is the one thing I don't miss about Palaces."

"What? Running out of them as they fall apart and nearly kill us? Yeah, me too…" Morgana said.

"Wait, this happens every time?" Kairi asked.

"Pretty much…" Ryuji responded.

"You should've *pant* turned into *pant* a bus, kitty…" Futaba said, out of breath.

"You're lucky I'm too tired to argue…" Morgana huffed.

"…he can turn into a bus?" The look on Kairi's face was priceless.

"Don't underestimate the capabilities of the great Morgana, hehe," Morgana responded.

"Jeez…what next, a helicopter?" Kairi facepalmed and started chuckling at the preposterousness of it all.

"On the upside, all that running makes for good exercise," Ann shrugged.

"Agreed, in addition, the fear of death is a powerful motivator," Yusuke said, everyone stared at him awkwardly.

"Uh-um, thank you for that, Yusuke," Haru said.

"After all that, I think I got my workout for the rest of the week…or month, haha," Rise chuckled.

"At least we all made it out," Makoto said.

"Uh… did we?" Yu raised an eyebrow. "Because I feel like we're one short…" The Thieves looked around; there was indeed one member missing, their whole reason for coming here. Everyone turned pale.

"Oh, fuck! Did Akira get left behind!?" Ryuji freaked out.

"No, look!" Haru pointed to Akira, who she could see was standing under the oak tree.

They all walked back up the hill; Akira was standing in front of the Kurusu grave. He was back in his wedding tuxedo, still wrinkled and ruined, covered in bloodstains from the previous night's brawl. Ryuji's ascot was still around his left arm as a sling. He felt dizzy; in all likelihood he was concussed due to the stamps from Joker and the repeated bumps against the steel bars of the stage cell. Akira's face was still bruised and swollen; fresh blood still dripped from his nose and dried blood rusted on his lips. He also had a mixture of fresh and dried blood running a line down the side of his head. He didn't see them, but he could only imagine the fresh bruises and marks he felt on his body. In the Metaverse, his body reacted differently to injuries. Now that he was back in the real world, he felt like he had been through a meat grinder.

Akira opened his eyes and looked down at his right hand; the "Happiness" film reel container that served as the treasure of his Palace had taken the form of the Kurusu family dog tag in the real world. He looked at it before closing his fists and his eyes once again as thoughts of Tetsuya and his father went through his mind. He felt tired, and his chest began to hurt ever so slightly.

"…Akira?" he heard Sumire's voice softly call out to him from behind. He opened his eyes and turned around to see everyone staring at him with worried expressions. When they did this very thing three days ago when he got sick at Leblanc, he felt angry. Now? He felt relieved…but not for long.

"Oh, uh, sorry. I was just…um…thinking," he said.

"I-It's all right," Sumire replied.

"A-Are you okay…?" Rise softly asked. Akira didn't look too well.

"Yeah, I'm just…really tired…" he said before beginning to breathe heavily. Sumire approached him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, hey, easy, count to four, remember?" Akira didn't listen.

"I-I… I have a lot…I need to s-s-say…t-to all of…" He leaned forward as his breathing got more erratic, he began to lose his words.

"H-Hey…w-w-what's wrong, cuz?" Rise asked, concerned.

"S-Sweetie…?" Kairi worriedly began stepping forward. The Phantom Thieves all looked at each other, worried.

"I-I…" Akira lost his footing and dropped to his knees. "…ngh…agh…"

"AKIRA!" Sumire yelled as the rest of the group rushed around him. Akira leaned forward, holding himself up with only one arm, still holding on to the dog tag, refusing to let it go. Sumire sat him up against the Kurusu gravestone. "W-What's wrong?"

"M-My… heart…" Akira put the hand that was still holding on to his dog tag up to his heart.

"He's going through the change of heart now!?" Ann exclaimed in shock.

"Isn't this what usually happens?" Yu asked.

"I-I guess, we've never really seen the actual process," Morgana began. "But it usually takes a few days. It's never happened this fast!"

"W-What do we do?" Rise asked, trying not to panic.

"Akira…" Sumire softly gasped.

"Don't…worry…" Akira smiled softly at everyone as he put his closed hand up to Sumire, gently caressing her cheek with his knuckles. "I just…need to…close…my eyes…for a bit…" His vision began to turn bright white.

"No, no, no, no!" Kairi panicked. "Akira, sweetie! Stay with us! We have to get him to a hospital!" Akira could faintly hear the sounds of everyone trying to talk to him to keep him awake, but the sound around him began to muffle. Despite his vision fading, Akira could see that tears were forming in the eyes of his companions.

"Don't…cry… It'll be… all right…" He choked out one last gasp of breath and let go of the dog tag, letting it fall in the grass before closing his eyes and drifting off under the oak tree. When he reopened them, Akira found himself back in the Velvet Room. Despite his cell door being wide open, he was back in his prison garments. He stood up and walked out of his cell as Lavenza was waiting for him.

"'Don't cry, it will be all right…'" Lavenza repeated Akira's words back to him. "Even as you slowly fade away, you still find yourself caring for the wellbeing of your companions more than your own. That is the Trickster I know," she smiled at him.

"Please, don't tell me I'm dead…" Akira cautiously said.

"On the contrary, you are very much still alive. You and your companions have fought hard for you to have a second chance. The only question is, what will you do with it?" Akira didn't tell her what he intended to do, but he knew what he wanted. Lavenza did as well.

"What happened to me?"

"You underwent a change of heart."

"Why? And how did I have a Palace in the first place?"

"I wish I could give you the answer, Trickster. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say that it was, perhaps, due to your unique nature. I have never seen someone awaken to a Persona despite having distorted desires."

"Does that mean I'm special?" Akira grinned.

"You already know the answer to that question, Trickster," Lavenza giggled before continuing. "Not only have you saved the world from ruin, but you conquered your distorted desires and overcame your own destruction… I am so happy for you."

"I don't think I could've done it without you. Thank you, Lavenza."

"Why, thank me? Your companions did much of the work."

"But I'm going to guess you were the one who gave them the Metaverse navigator in the first place?" Akira smirked. He thought about how he found the calling card and his cell phone in his pocket after waking up in his real-world jail cell. He pieced together the rest.

"I suppose it is impossible to trick a Trickster," Lavenza blushed.

"Hehe, seems like it," Akira chuckled. "Again, thank you for what you did. I owe you my life."

"You saved my life, and now, I have saved yours. I believe we are now what you call 'square?'"

"Yeah, haha," Akira chuckled. "I guess we are." The bell began to ring, signaling the end of Akira's time in the Velvet Room and his imminent return to the real world. Akira looked around the Velvet Room and back to Lavenza one more time.

"It is time for you to return home, Trickster. I believe your family awaits you."

"Will we see each other again?" he asked. Lavenza gave him one final smile.

"I certainly hope so… Akira."

---

Akira was slipping in and out of consciousness. Time was moving along at its normal pace. But to Akira, it felt like it was moving back and forth. Finally, his eyes slowly opened up once again. He felt limited in his mobility and had to blink his eyes several times in order to get his vision to clear up. Once it came back, he looked around the room he was in. It was still a bit hard to see since a bandage was partially obscuring his left eye. He heard the sound of a heart monitor, noticed the IV drip on his right, and concluded he was in a hospital bed. He looked forward and saw a basket containing flowers, cards, boxes of sweets, and a teddy bear.

Akira looked up at the clock on the wall; it was almost seven. Looking out the window, he couldn't tell if the sun was coming up or going down. He then looked and saw Sumire's head buried in her arms as she sat in a pulled-up chair, resting her head on the edge of the bed he was in. He took his right hand and gently rubbed the top of her head, delicately stroking her hair. It felt like it had been forever since he'd seen her. How he missed touching her, how he missed looking at her, how he missed her. Sumire awoke from her light slumber and lifted her head out of her arms. Her face lit up when she saw that the boy she loved was awake.

"Hey…" Akira quietly said with a soft smile. "…what's the story, morning glory?" Sumire began to tear up but was nonetheless happy.

"H-How are you feeling?" She held his hand tightly.

"Honestly? I feel both great and horrible…" Akira admitted. "I feel like a gigantic weight has been lifted off my shoulders, yet at the same time, I still feel bound with the weight of the world."

"That's just the change of heart. Don't worry; it'll pass eventually," she assured him.

"I figured," Akira began. "On the upside, my head doesn't hurt as much anymore. I think the migraines are gone."

"I'm glad," Sumire smiled. "Here, let me call the nurse." She tried getting up, but Akira didn't let go of her hand.

"No, please. Stay with me… Just a few more minutes." Sumire softly smiled at him and nodded as she sat back down.

"Okay," she said as she rested her head on his chest. "I missed you…" They shared a moment together in peace.

"Thank you…"

"For what?"

"…for saving my life."

Akira could've stayed here with Sumire forever. But, eventually, it had to end. Sumire called the nurse and stepped out to tell the others that he was awake. Almost everyone in the group shuffled in and sat around the hospital room, happy to see that he was awake. The only ones that weren't present were Morgana, Yu, and his mother. They caught him up to speed before the nurse showed up.

"How are you doing?" Makoto asked with a soft smile.

"About as good as look, hehe, but I'm so glad to see you guys," Akira responded. "First question; is the sun coming up or going down?"

"That's your first question?" Futaba chuckled. "It's coming up. You're lucky, you woke up right after we all got here."

"How long was I out for?"

"Three days," Ann responded.

"And what's all that?" he asked, pointing at the basket.

"You had visitors while you were out," Sumire began. "Your aunt and uncle came by, so did Dojima-san and Nanako-chan."

"Nanako-chan also planted a kiss on your forehead. I thought Sumire was gonna go apeshit," Ryuji chuckled.

"Ryuji!" Ann scolded him. "Although, I gotta admit, it was kinda cute. She got to kiss her prince, heehee," she giggled.

"Ann, stop, you're embarrassing him, and probably making Sumire uncomfortable as well," Makoto chuckled.

"It's all right; don't worry, Makoto-senpai," Sumire smiled.

"Oh, Yu-san and Rise-san's friends came by as well," Haru began. "You'll never guess what,"

"They're Persona users too?" Akira responded. The Thieves went wide-eyed.

"Wow! Good guess, haha," Ann laughed.

"Not really, hehe," Akira had his group, Rise had hers, both groups had names, and Yu and Rise were Persona users. It wasn't that hard to figure out.

"We all talked with them while you were asleep," Yusuke began. "It was interesting to hear what they experienced."

"Turns out, you're not the only guy we know who's taken down a god," Futaba chuckled.

"Hanamura-san brought us all supplies from Junes when we stayed here. He's a very nice man!" Haru said.

"Amagi-san allowed us to extend our stay at the inn while you recuperated, free-of-charge. Although, I still don't understand why she finds the fact that Hanamura-san and I have similar names to be so hilarious," Yusuke shook his head.

"Also, Tatsumi-san made this teddy bear especially for you. He's really talented when it comes to crafts; I never would have guessed that upon meeting him. I should ask if he would make a special Buchimaru-kun plushie for Mako-chan?" Haru chuckled.

"I spent a long time talking with Shirogane-san," Makoto began. "I told her that I wanted to become a police commissioner, and she gave me some great advice on law enforcement. She's really fascinating to me."

"Oh, and as soon as they let you out of here, Satonaka-san said she would take us all to get the best meat! I freaking love this town!" Ryuji exclaimed; everyone chuckled.

"Anyway," Makoto began. "They were all very kind to us and all wished you the best."

"How much do they know about…you know…?" Akira asked.

"… We told them we were all Persona users, but that's it. Yu-san assured us we could trust them, but we didn't talk about what happened in the Palace. I hope you it's all right with you that we told them."

"Yeah, it's fine. So, what exactly happened?"

"What do you remember?" Sumire asked.

"I remember running out of the Palace and then standing in front of my family's headstone, but after that, nothing much."

"After we escaped the Palace, you began undergoing the change of heart right away and collapsed in front of us. Yu-san rushed you to the hospital. When we arrived, the doctors told us you went into a coma."

"They said it was due to exhaustion and the injuries you suffered," Yusuke began. "But it's safe to assume the change of heart was an equal factor."

"However, not all of your injuries were from the Palace, were they?" Haru anxiously asked.

"No… I-uh…had a run-in with some assholes while I…well…while I was gone."

"Was one of 'em named Raden, by chance?" Ryuji asked.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Akira raised an eyebrow.

"We'll explain later, but for now, let's just say we had our own run-in with him," Futaba replied.

"In the Palace?" Akira asked.

"Mm-hm. But it wasn't anything we couldn't handle," Ann replied with a smile.

"Right, hehe," Akira nodded. "So, where's Mom? And Morgana?"

"Yu-san is outside while Morgana and your mother are at home," Makoto answered.

"Dude, you wouldn't believe what it took to get your mom to go home. She just refused to leave you," Futaba chuckled.

"What do you mean?" Akira asked.

"We wanted to make sure there was at least one of us here for when you woke up," Sumire replied.

"The first day you were here, we spent the entire day by your side." Makoto began. "Then, for the next two days, we took turns watching over you while the others went back home or back to the inn to wash up, eat, rest, stuff like that."

"I called it the 'Akira Shift,' mwehehe," Futaba chuckled.

"While some of us left temporarily, your mother always stayed by your side," Haru continued. "Even when the nurses informed her that visiting hours were over, she simply moved to the chapel and stayed there until visiting hours resumed."

"You are truly fortunate to have such a caring mother, Akira," Yusuke said. He was right; Akira took some comfort in that. For the first time in months, he thought of his mother without his head hurting. His mind hadn't felt this clear in over a year. A wave of relief came crashing down on him as he cracked a smile, but he still felt horrible for what he had said to her… What he had said to all of them. Akira vowed to make things right with everyone, but his mother was at the top of his list.

"Anyway, after three days, she was looking like she was falling apart," Ann began. "Sleeping in waiting room chairs and eating nothing but junk from the vending machine will do that to you. So, Yu-san drove her home like…what, an hour ago?" she asked the others who nodded.

"We thought we'd need the jaws of life to pry her out of here," Ryuji added. "Yu-san said he finally got her in bed… I-uh, n-not like that, obviously!" he said, embarrassed. His poor choice of phrasing caused everyone to laugh, even Akira chuckled a bit, but he noticed Rise wasn't. She looked focused.

"Rise? You okay?" Akira asked.

"H-Huh?" Rise snapped out of her thoughts. She kept staring at his left arm, which was slung up and encased in a cast. "Y-Yeah, it's just…" she sniffed a few times. "It's your first cast," she cracked a sad smile.

"Hehe, yeah," Akira chuckled.

"It got me thinking about Tetsuya's first cast…" she sniffed as she shed a couple of tears but kept smiling.

"Oh, right…" Akira felt melancholic as well. "…when he tried to front flip off his bike, haha," he laughed.

"Why would an eight-year-old even attempt that, haha?" Rise laughed.

"Who knows, hehe…that's just how he was…"

"A daredevil…" Akira and Rise chuckled briefly as they recalled Tetsuya's first trip to the hospital for a broken limb. It was one of Akira's earliest memories. Then, the atmosphere soured a bit. Cognition or not, Akira and Rise still weren't over the fact that they saw Tetsuya in the theater. Rise stifled her tears, reached into her purse, and pulled out a brand-new pack of multicolored sharpies. "Would you mind letting us sign your cast?" she asked.

"Absolutely," Akira smiled before Rise tearfully handed everyone a colored marker, and they all wrote a little something on Akira's cast.

The nurse asked everyone to step out for a moment to give Akira the rundown. He came in with a concussion; the gash in his forehead was stitched up and would, unfortunately, leave another scar. The bruises and cuts on his face and body would heal naturally on their own in a week or two. They bandaged up the cut in his left hand before putting on a cast. Akira would have to keep it for eight weeks; he was thankful he wasn't a southpaw. She also recommended that he rest in bed for a day or two. Otherwise, she said they would keep him under observation and let him rest for a while longer, and if all was fine, he would be released by the end of the day.

Once the nurse left, Yu came in and talked to Akira about what happened after he disappeared. Akira was open and honest about everything he did, or what he could remember at least, including drinking whiskey, vandalizing Cinema City's window, and fighting with the trio. Yu told him that an officer named Inoki stopped by while he was out and told him that Akira had a court date set for the next week. Not just for the drinking and vandalism, but also the Takagi's were, unfortunately, suing him for assault. Makoto called Sae when she caught wind of this; Sae assured them that she would be coming in the next couple of days to defend him.

Akira wasn't happy. He told himself that it wasn't his fault; that it was Joker's hold over him. He also told himself that it was all crap. Akira didn't let Joker control him for long. The only thing he could really blame Joker for was kicking Ryuji in the face and spouting a few foul words at the other Thieves. But once Akira laid eyes on Sumire outside the wedding hall, he snapped out of it and regained his own senses, but knew he couldn't stick around after all that. Joker may have influenced him, but, whether he liked it or not, Akira was in control of his actions the rest of the time. At least, that's what it felt like to him. Neither possibility was particularly comforting.

"Any other questions?" Yu asked.

"No, I got it."

"Don't worry about the court date. At worst, for the window and such, you'll have to pay a fine and maybe do some community service once you go back to Tokyo. What worries me is the Takagis."

"I'm not worried. Sae-san's the best. She'll fight tooth and nail."

"Hehe, yeah, that's what Makoto-chan said," Yu chuckled. "You're lucky to know so many great people."

"Yeah, I am," Akira smiled. Yu stood up.

"Well, I'd better let you rest up."

"Wait, how's Mom holding up?"

"She went to sleep after I dropped her off at the house. As far as I know, she's still resting. Morgana's keeping an eye on her. Do you want me to call her? You know she'll be down here in a heartbeat, hehe."

"Nah, from what the others have told me, she could use some sleep."

"All right. Well, take it easy, 'kay? We'll drive you home later on today."

"Will do. Thanks, Yu."

"No worries." He was about to exit the room when he turned back around. "Oh, one last question, are you really a wildcard as well?"

"Heh, yeah."

"And you were a guest of the Velvet Room?"

"Yep, word is so were you?"

"Yeah, hehe, I was. So, how was it in the limo?"

"…limo?" Akira raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, the Velvet Room?"

"Uh…" Akira was confused. "I don't know what you're talking about, Yu. My Velvet Room was a prison cell."

"Really?" Yu's eyes widened. Akira nodded. "Wow…no wonder the theater felt so much like a prison…" Yu said under his breath as he walked out of the room.

---

By six in the evening, after resting for the day, Akira was let go from the hospital. Sumire brought him a fresh pair of clothes and gave him back three important items that she held on to while he was recovering: his faux glasses, ring, and dog tag. Akira's heart began to grow heavy as he put each of them on. The Phantom Thieves, Rise, and Yu, all drove him back home. Akira rode in the Phantom Thieves' van, while Yu and Rise followed in their own vehicle. He was quiet the entire ride back and simply stared out the window. When they pulled up outside the Kurusu home, his heart grew even heavier as he looked up at the house. Akira took a deep breath; the Phantom Thieves assured him that they were right behind him.

He entered his home with his faux glasses on his face, his ring on his finger, and his family's dog tag around his neck. The first thing he noticed was the smell of coffee in the air. He then heard a pair of familiar voices, Tetsuya's, then his father's. Without making a sound, he walked into the living room and found his mother and Morgana sitting on the couch watching an old home movie. The date on the screen showed April 10th, 2007, which was Tetsuya's twelfth birthday. Akira saw his late father and brother walking together with backpacks on. He felt like his heart was going to shatter into a million pieces.

"Where are we, boys?" Kairi in the film asked from behind the camera.

"How should I know, Kai?" Minoru said jokingly.

"You know exactly where we are, Minoru!" Kairi chuckled.

"I'm acting as a stand-in for the audience. Besides, it's Tetsuya's birthday; why don't you ask him?" Minoru ruffled Tetsuya's hair.

"Tetsuya? Sweetie? Where are we?" Kairi asked.

"We are going camping by the river!" Tetsuya was referring to the river where Minoru and Kairi conceived him, though he didn't know that.

"Boy, this sure does bring back memories, doesn't it, hon'?" Minoru turned to wink at the camera. Akira smiled slightly at that. "Oh, I know that look…" Minoru began with a humorously alarmed look on his face. "For the viewers at home, my wife, the wonderful Kairi Kurusu, is giving me the stink-eye…still doing it."

"Compliments will only get you so far, cowboy," Kairi laughed. "Where's Akira anyway? I want to get the three of you together."

"Akira!? Come on, bud! Where are you?" Minoru called out.

"Dude, where the hell are you!?" Tetsuya added.

"Tetsuya! Language!" Kairi scolded.

"Oh, come on! I can't say 'hell?'" Tetsuya whined.

"Ask again next year, pal," Minoru said before looking to the camera and shaking his head. Again, Akira softly smiled.

"Akira!?" Kairi called out.

"BOO!" Akira jumped out from the bushes and startled his dad and brother.

"AH! Look out, guys! It's Akira of the Woods!" Minoru acted scared as he picked Akira up.

"You could be a ninja someday," Tetsuya began. "Maybe even a thief, seeing as you're always stealing my toys," he joked. Akira's smile slowly began to fade.

"All right, boys, get close to each other," Kairi said. "Who wants to say something to the camera? Akira, you go first!" She zoomed in on Akira's face.

"Happy birthday, Tetsuya!" Akira exclaimed.

"Thanks, little brother. But I'd really like my Optimus Prime back."

"NO!"

"Boys, play nice," Kairi softly scolded. "Now, Akira, is that all you have to say?"

"I say… IT'S SHOWTIME!" he exclaimed before running off.

"Akira! …and he's gone." Tetsuya shrugged.

"I blame you for teaching him that catchphrase," Minoru joked.

"Hey, Mom showed us Beetlejuice!" Tetsuya argued.

"Woah, Woah, I didn't show you anything; you found it by yourself," Kairi retorted.

"Nice fuckin' model! *honk honk*" Minoru emulated Michael Keaton by honking his crotch.

"MINORU KURUSU!" Kairi yelled.

"Oh, you're in trouble…" Tetsuya laughed.

"Yeah, probably…" Minoru rubbed the back of his neck. "We-uh…better say goodbye for now, huh?" Tetsuya laughed and nodded. The camera once again focused on just them. "Tetsuya, come on, wave goodbye to the camera. Bye-bye!"

"Bye!"

Minoru and Tetsuya smiled and waved goodbye to the camera as Kairi paused the frame. Then, it finally happened; Akira's heart broke, and he shed a tear. His sniff caught the attention of Kairi and Morgana as they looked behind them to see Akira staring at his father and brother on the television screen. Kairi got up and slowly went over to him without saying a word. She examined his face and his cast. Akira was quietly shedding tears with only a hint of a smile remaining on his face. Kairi removed his glasses.

"Akira…a-are you okay?" she quietly asked; Akira nodded.

"Y-Yeah…I am," he responded, trying to keep his smile from disappearing entirely.

"Are you sure?"

"U-Uh…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…n-no… I'm not…" Akira admitted, looking down and shaking his head. His smile was gone; he couldn't keep up the façade. Akira wasn't okay, he was far from okay; he was broken. Kairi put her hands on his shoulders, looked down and noticed Akira was wearing the family dog tag, and looked back up at his face. He closed his eyes as more tears were coming down. Akira looked her in the eye and spoke in between quiet sobs. "…Mom… I-I'm sorry… I'm…s-so sorry… for e-everything I said…f-for what I…I…"

"Shhhhhhh… Shh, shh, shh… I know, honey. It's okay…" she softly smiled. "Everything's going to be okay," she said before pulling him for a hug.

At that moment, Akira let go completely, wrapping his arms around his mother and holding her tightly as he cried for the first time in over seven years. He was regretful about everything he had said to her, nearly abandoning her and causing her to worry about losing him. Kairi didn't care about any of that anymore; she was just relieved to have him home. Kairi noticed the entire group was watching from the doorway, themselves with tears in their eyes, but happy that their leader, best friend, cousin, and beloved was home safe. It wasn't the happiest of endings exactly, at best it was bittersweet, but Akira was back and right where he should be, and to them, that was enough. As Kairi held her son while he sobbed and sniffed in her shoulder, she mouthed something to the group.

"Thank you."