My gosh! Took me ten days to finish this D: I am super super super busy, but I am motivated! :D So here's a new chapter for you all, and hopefully you won't need to wait this long for next one. But I can't promise anything x)
"Why is he taking so long?"
"Maybe you could try sending him a text?"
"We can't! Shido might still be monitoring him!"
Makoto was listening to her friends discussing the reason why Akechi hadn't shown up by the allotted time he had scheduled in the last letter he had sent to Akira. She was sitting in a chair in Akira's dusty room, her hands crossed over her chest and looking indifferent. For all they knew, Akechi had completely forgotten about their meeting because he was too busy hanging out with his girlfriend. So honestly, the less she saw the damn guy, the better.
As everyone else discussed what was keeping Akechi from attending the meeting, a voice whispered softly in her ear. "Mako-chan, how are you doing?"
Makoto turned to give Ann a weak smile and nodded. "I am alright. Just bored."
The blonde pursed her lips, showing how unsatisfying her answer was. "Ann, really… I told you already. He can do what he wants."
"There" Akira finally announced to his restless friends. "I asked him to come over to try that new game. I doubt Shido will get suspicious, right?"
Their enthusiasm, however, soon turned into agitation again when several minutes passed without receiving a reply.
"OK, you know what?" Akira said again, fishing once more his phone out of the jeans pockets. "I am calling him. Whatever."
The silence in the room was so thick everyone could hear the sound of a call being forwarded, but no one seemed to be picking up the phone.
"Dammit, Goro…" Akira muttered, staring worriedly at the screen before the call automatically ended after several failed attempts.
"Why don't we go to his place?" Haru suggested shyly. "Maybe he fell asleep and didn't hear the phone…"
"I doubt it" Akira replied. "But we can try, I guess."
The eight friends then decided to leave LeBlanc and take the first train available to Shibuya, where they proceeded by foot. Makoto wasn't entirely happy with their choice but she could do nothing but follow the leader and obey, ignoring Ann who kept glancing at her worriedly.
When they finally arrived at the shabby block where Akechi lived, they climbed the stairs and Akira rang the bell a couple of times. No answer.
"What the hell, Akechi?!" Ryuji punched the wall beside the door and grunted in frustration.
"Do you think… he might be in trouble?" Haru looked at Akira, who shook his head. "I do not know… Maybe he went out and forgot to take his phone with him."
"Oh c'mon, guys!" Makoto exclaimed irritated. "That guy is probably just snogging his girlfriend at the park. Nothing to worry about."
"His girlfriend?" Akira lifted a brow and gave her a quizzical look.
"Yes, that girl we saw at the sushi restaurant, remember?"
Akira blinked a few times before widening his eyes as he understood what she meant. "You mean Tamiko-chan?"
It was now Makoto's turn to fall silent, feeling suddenly extremely stupid. "Wait. That girl at the restaurant was… Tamiko Fujikawa?"
"Yes" Akira nodded, still stunned by her accusation. "I thought Goro had told you. But then again, you stormed out of the place before he could explain…"
Makoto didn't answer but she did turn to her left when she felt someone elbowing her: Ann was giving her a bright smile, and her expression read an obvious "told you so".
"Well, I won't even bother to ask you guys what the heck is going on here" Futaba butted in. "But Akechi is nowhere to be found, and I suppose that finding him is our top priority at the moment."
"True" Yusuke agreed. "I am afraid Shido might have discovered something."
"Akira, I suppose you don't have Tamiko-chan's number?" Ann asked their leader, who shook his head once more. "Goro never gave it to me for safety reasons."
"Dammit" Ryuji muttered. "What the hell!"
"Futaba, do you think you could..?" Yusuke was about to ask, before shaking his head "no, I suppose we shouldn't risk calling Tamiko-san after all."
A very frustrated Ryuji suddenly kicked Akechi's door, which -to everyone's surprise- opened easily and slammed against the wall of the entrance.
"What?!" Ryuji exclaimed surprised as he took a step back. "Did I do that?"
"Doubtful. I am quite sure the door has been open all along" Morgana said seriously, and everyone exchanged a worried look. "Alright everyone, proceed with caution."
None of them could count on their Personas in the real world, so they stepped inside slowly and carefully as they scanned every single corner of the small apartment.
"Goro?" Akira called once he was sure nothing suspicious was around. "You here, man?"
"C'mon Akechi, no time for a nap now!" Ryuji joined Akira and opened the door to the bedroom. "It's empty… there is absolutely no one in here…"
Makoto was still feeling dumb for mistrusting Akechi, and now she was feeling even more guilty as her sixth sense told her the boy was in deep trouble. She had never been in Akechi's apartment before, but it was impossible to miss a detail for the place was barely big enough for a teenager like him.
"Guys! Look what I found!"
Everyone hurried to the bedroom once again, where Futaba was crouched on the floor and was holding…
"…Goro's phone!" Akira exclaimed as he strode quickly towards the red-haired girl.
"Yes" she nodded severely. "And look here. The Meta app is still on…"
"Do you think… he went to the Metaverse? But why?" Yusuke asked.
"More importantly" Morgana frowned. "If he activated the app, how come the phone is here and not with him?"
"This is bad. This is really bad" Akira paced back and forth and ran a hand through his already messy hair.
"Do you guys think… he went on to Shido's Palace without us?" Haru suggested, a hand on her heart.
"It is a possibility" Morgana confirmed "But I don't like this. This is strange. Akechi had no need to proceed by himself without warning us first. And the fact his phone has been left behind…"
Makoto was suddenly feeling restless and agitated and couldn't stand discussing any longer. She was pretty sure Akechi was in danger, and talking about it wouldn't help him.
"When you're done assessing the situation, you can join me. I am finding Shido's keywords." And, with that, the dark-haired girl left the apartment hurriedly.
"Wakey, wakey Trickster."
Akechi opened his eyes and lamely tried to focus his blurry vision. Everything was spinning dangerously and he couldn't move a muscle. Where the hell was he?
A deep voice kept repeating something he couldn't quite catch, and the blueish aura surrounding him wasn't helping him feel any better either.
Someone had grabbed his chin and was trying to keep his head steady until he finally recognized the face of Igor. "Y-you…"
"What? Are you tired already?" Igor mocked him. "I thought you were much stronger than this. But then again, you did fail your rehabilitation…"
Akechi was feeling so feverish he couldn't even speak. As a wave of nausea hit him, he closed his eyes and tried his best not to be sick in front of the man.
"Feeling unwell, are we?" Igor continued indifferently. "But I am afraid you have rested enough. You lost the duel after all, and you owe me a little favor…"
Akechi refused to look at the man but was listening intently. He had no idea why Igor had suddenly turned from the benevolent god who had gifted him with the incredible power of the Wild Card, to a cold-blooded villain. This made no sense, for Igor had always been supportive and ready to give him an advice, despite his creepiness and weirdness. So what had changed?
"I will be giving Loki back to you, if only temporarily. I am quite confident I will soon get it back, together with Robin. I doubt you will be needing them anyway after this last quest I am assigning you. Though I have to say it has been truly entertaining to watch you gain power only to lose it all because of affection." Igor spat the last word with disdain before chuckling once again as it was his customs. "I can sense your confusion, Trickster. But don't you worry: you will not have any memories of what happened yesterday or today. Actually, you will not have any memories at all. You are my puppet now, and you are going to entertain me for one last time."
Akechi finally glanced at Igor, unable to hide his terror. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, don't worry about that, Trickster. You won't be needing an explanation. All you need to know is that soon you will see your beloved friends again. Though you probably won't even know that by then."
When Akechi opened his mouth to say something, Igor placed a hand on his forehead and smiled his crooked smile. "Now sleep, Trickster."
Things were escalating quickly and not in a good way. The Phantom Thieves had only ten days before the ballot count where- they were sure- Shido would be elected as the new prime minister. Furthermore, they were quite confident the man had discovered Akechi's plan, and the boy was now in trouble.
The eight friends spent at least three of the ten days trying to figure out the correct keywords to infiltrate Shido's Palace, the operation made even tougher now that they couldn't count on Akechi, who knew the man more than anyone else.
When the app on Akira's phone finally confirmed the hit, the Phantom Thieves were transported into the Metaverse, and soon they found themselves walking the planks of an enormous and grandiose cruise ship sailing the seas of a fallen Tokyo.
"Bloody hell" Ryuji commented, both impressed and angered by the view. "That bastard only cares about money and power, not about the country and its people!"
"Wasn't that obvious?" Makoto replied. "You could tell by what he did to his own son…"
Makoto could sense her friends' anger as Akira- who was standing beside her- gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists. "Let's ravage this damn place!"
Makoto was surprised to hear Joker say that. She had known him for a while now, and never before had the quiet boy looked so enraged, for he was normally calm and controlled even under stressful circumstances, but she guessed he had had enough too.
They began exploring the place, their jaws dropping at the majestic and luxurious surroundings. Every room was decorated with richness, making sure no corner or wall was left empty. People in expensive-looking suits and dresses roamed around in groups, wearing masks and drinking champagne as they discussed what a marvelous job Shido would do once winning the ballot. Masayoshi Shido's voice itself resonated throughout the ship to remind his guests of his greatness.
However, the Phantom Thieves instantly realized Shido was no ordinary criminal and his Shadow was as cunning and sharp-minded as its human counterpart: the man had thought of every circumstance since his Palace was well-guarded and the most vital rooms were barred with a complicated lock system.
Soon enough, they were forced to search for five exclusive guests on the ship who could provide them with a letter of introduction in order to access the chamber behind which they suspected Shadow Shido was hiding.
The Shadows they encountered were exceptionally strong unlike any other they had fought before, and the five VIPs themselves were unordinary. According to Morgana, Shido had stolen Futaba's mother's research about cognitive pscience to strengthen the Shadows in his Palace, which only made their resolve to make the bastard pay even stronger.
And so, since they didn't have any other choice, the eight Phantom Thieves of Hearts began their quest to find the five influential guests on board to retrieve their letters of introduction. And maybe, with a bit of luck, they would find their last party member as well.
He couldn't quite remember how he had gotten into Shido's Palace or what had happened shortly before that. His memories were hazy and confused and he felt groggy as if under the effect of some drugs. All he knew was that he had a task: find eight masked people who possessed the same powers as him and crush them, so that he could get his revenge on Shido. He vaguely remembered a conversation with someone, but he couldn't recall who that was or what they had been talking about.
He wandered around the Palace for a couple of hours, sensing his targets were close but he never managed to bump into them. As he descended the stairs to the engine room of Shido's ship, he stopped and placed his hands on both sides of his head, which started throbbing painfully. He decided he could take a short break just for the headache to attenuate before continuing.
He went to place himself as far away from the feeble light by the entrance as possible, sitting in a dark corner and closed his eyes with a sigh. As he did so, an image flashed through his mind: a teenager around his age with messy dark hair and grey eyes, carrying a black cat in a large bag and smiling kindly at him.
…who the hell was that?" he whispered, his voice sounding much louder in the large and empty room.
The more he tried to breathe and calm down, the more painful his headache became.
He wasn't sure how long he stayed crouched there, but his heart automatically started beating faster when he heard the sound of multiple voices getting closer. He didn't need to look to tell who they were: judging by the power he felt, he was more than confident they were the famous Phantom Thieves of Hearts. He smiled wickedly and instantly shot up to his feet, ignoring the sharp pain shooting through his head as he did so, and quietly rushed upstairs where he could have a clear view of the large room below.
When seven teenagers and a monster cat made their entrance and stopped in the middle of the room to take a curious look around, he scanned each of their masked faces as something stirred in his memory when his eyes fell on a girl dressed in dark-grey garbs with spiky shoulder pads. He frowned as another memory- that of a red-eyed girl pouting before bursting into laughter- resurfaced.
He pressed once more a shaky hand against one side of his head, feeling more confused than ever. What was the meaning of all this? What were those images? Were they even memories or the fruit of his own imagination?
"Don't get distracted, Trickster. Those people are your enemies. They are trying to confuse you by installing false memories in your mind. It is the power of the leader's Persona."
A distant, almost metallic voice rang through his ears and he almost jumped as it took him by surprise. The power of the leader's Persona? Could that mean the frizzy hair guy's Persona could reshape others' memories? Was that why he was seeing weird things and having a terrible headache?
"Yes. Destroy him. Destroy them all, and you will be free again. Free from the pain and your tormented past."
Akechi balled his hands into fists and looked down at the eight intruders coolly, watching their every move. They were strong but he was better. No one could excel him in strength and cunningness.
"So what are you waiting for? Crush them!"
Akechi jumped down, landing right in front of the Phantom Thieves' eyes and looked up at them. Even though they were all wearing masks, he knew they were gasping with surprise. His own lips curled up into a broad smirk and he straightened up to glance at them all. They were standing still, frozen in whatever action they had been doing and were returning the stare.
"Here you all are" he said, breaking the silence.
"Crow!"
Someone exclaimed, a boy wearing a skull mask and another distorted memory of a blond guy playfully elbowing him in the side flashed in front of his eyes. He refrained himself from pressing his thumbs against his temples and pretended everything was fine. He did wonder, however, what the name he had called him actually meant. To him, it sounded like a codename and an extremely familiar one, too. He shook his head and fixed his eyes on the boy standing right in front of him.
"You!" Akechi shouted. "Stop playing with my head!"
The frizzy-haired boy frowned but didn't say anything in return.
"Crow, what're you doing?" A girl's voice asked, and Akechi knew she was referring to him. He was Crow, and had no idea why they called him that.
"Stop it! That's not my name!"
"That's how we call you in here, remember?" the girl with spiky shoulder pads butted in, but he shook his head again and more vehemently.
"Hey man, seriously?" the leader of the group finally spoke, directly to him.
"I said… stop… playing… with… my… head!" Akechi repeated, his tone growing more and more dangerous.
"No one's playing with your head! What's wrong with you?" the black-haired boy insisted.
"Yes, you are!" Akechi was raising his voice, shaking slightly as his headache intensified. "You're all…"
He grunted and nearly fell on his knees, but forced himself to take a step back and instinctively shot an arm forward when he saw the girl dressed in dark garbs approaching him, and she stopped abruptly when she noticed the gesture.
"What did we do to you?" a boyish voice coming from the shortest member of the party questioned.
That was right. What did they do to him? He knew he had to eliminate them, but couldn't remember exactly why.
"Just do it. You must do it. Otherwise you will never be free!"
Yes, but why?
"Because they're your enemies. They are using you to get to Shido first, and then they will get rid of you for what you did."
"The sole fact that you exist" Akechi explained quietly. "You should never have crossed my path. And I am here to fix that."
A chorus of "what?!" followed his words, but someone's reaction in particular caught his attention. The girl with short hair and with shoulder pads had brought both hands to her chest and was staring at him intently. He could see her eyes behind the mask, which carried infinite sadness and hurt.
"Are you serious about this?" she asked, almost whispering the question.
"Oh, enough with the chit-chat!" he swung an arm in the air to prevent them from continuing speaking. "Let's end this."
Everyone seemed too stunned to react to his next action, which was drawing his saber sword and summoning Robin Hood. However, the Phantom Thieves did notice when the Persona glanced sideways at his master and shot him a sad look.
Akechi then pointed the sword at Akira and smirked. "Ready to die, Joker?"
Makoto couldn't believe this. Nothing could have prepared her for this. What had happened between her sister's Palace and Shido's one after Akechi disappeared? Had he been brainwashed? Had it all been a plan to kill them in the Metaverse, after all? But why not killing Akira when he had had the opportunity to? Why wait until now? Something was definitely off, but there was no way to have a proper conversation with the guy. Furthermore, Akechi seemed to have completely forgotten his codename, which was utterly suspicious. And so was his Persona's behavior.
She reluctantly placed herself in attack position when Akechi had drawn his sword against them, but he seemed to be holding a particular grudge against Akira. Makoto glanced at the party leader, and stared at him until he returned it and gave her a quizzical look. She frowned, questioning him with her eyes and he seemed to get it, for he simply shrugged and shook his head. He had no idea why Akechi was acting that way, either.
"Don't underestimate him, everyone. We might know his fighting style, but he might never have shown us all he's got" Futaba warned them from above, as the girl hovered in circles over their heads with her Persona, while she scanned the opponent with her computer.
So they had really come to this: the eight Phantom Thieves against Goro Akechi, who had been their friend and one of the most vital additions up until that moment. Who had been hunting her dreams and thoughts day and night, and who was now determined to kill her and her friends.
Her hands were shaking violently as she tried to get a hold of herself and fight back the tears. Maybe if they pretended to fight him and talk some sense into him, he would return back to normal. Maybe he was under some kind of spell they had never seen before.
Makoto watched as Akechi shot forward with incredible speed, brandishing his sword up in the air to slice Akira up, but the dark-haired boy promptly dodged the attack and drew his dagger. It was so painful to watch two best friends trying to kill each other, though she was sure Akira was as confused and heart-broken as she was. The boy wasn't even trying to fight back, but merely dodged Akechi's attacks whenever he got too close. Until Personas got involved.
"Robin!"
At this point, Akira was forced to call forth Arsène and the two humanoid creatures clashed against one another in an explosion of bright light. Since other members of the Phantom Thieves were starting to join the fight to help their leader, Akechi jumped back and summoned some creatures from Shido's Palace.
It was an instant mayhem, with both boys and girls occupied with different powerful Shadows and Futaba keeping on shouting tips and warnings from above. Makoto was slowly retreating from a battle she had never wanted to join, as a beaming light emanating from the center of the fight temporarily blinded her. When she could see again, Arsène and Robin were intertwined as if trying to fuse with one another while they were really only attempting to crush the other first. Her eyes quickly moved from the two towering Personas to her teammates still busy with their own opponents to the two best friends swinging their arms at light speed, the former fully intentioned to kill the other, the latter desperately trying to parry each attack.
The sound of metal against metal resonated all around the engine room, which was now illuminated by the flashing lights coming from each Phantom Thieves' Personas. Blue, green, red, yellow all alternated on the walls of the rectangular room and lit her own terrified face.
Then, as if in slow motion, she saw how Robin slammed Arsène against the opposite wall and then floated toward it. After that, Robin turned to look at its master, still distracted by his own fight against Akira, and then at Arsène. However, instead of striking the final blow, Robin dropped its hands and simply waited. Arsène didn't need to be told twice to exploit that moment of weakness to fight back- Robin not even trying to defend itself at that point- and claim its unexpected victory. When Robin fell to the ground, defeated, Akechi turned his head to see what had happened and widened his eyes in shock. As if Robin's defeat had been a catalyst, all the Shadows in the room disappeared without warning, leaving the others baffled and confused. Everyone's eyes were again on Akechi and silence fell once more over them.
"Damn it!" Akechi said angrily and gave them all a look of pure hatred. "I will… kill you all!"
"Will you please stop?" Ann replied. "You're fighting the wrong people!"
"Right, bro. What the hell got into you all of a sudden?" Ryuji intervened, but their words only seemed to be making Akechi angrier.
"Shut up, shut up, shut up! You are nothing compared to me! You're just worthless pieces of trash that need to be eliminated!"
"Akechi..!"
Mentioning his name provoked a different reaction from the brown-haired boy, who groaned as he gripped both sides of his head and shut his eyes closed as if in a terrible pain. "Damn it!"
Everyone simply stared until Makoto tried once again to approach the boy just to see if he was doing OK, but it was then he started laughing. It was not his usual soft, amused chuckle, but a cold and evil one she had never heard before. Akechi wasn't looking at them as he kept snickering, his eyes fixed on a random spot on the floor.
"Well then, it seems I underestimated you" he finally said, the shadow of a malicious smirk still lingering on his frenzied face. "I bet you thought this was all I had got?"
He looked up, his smirk growing wider as his white garbs and red masks were temporarily replaced by a totally different outfit, before returning candid white again. Everyone gasped and took a step back when his appearance changed in a flash, and they all wondered if they had actually simply imagined it happening after all.
"Wrong!" he continued. "I will give you a true taste of power. I will show you how to really win a fight."
He laughed again his cold, high-pitched laughter that made shivers run down Makoto's spine and then he opened his arms as if welcoming them to a particularly entertaining show. "Did I make you curious? Then let me introduce you to my real self!"
Makoto gulped nervously, her heart racing a million miles an hour as she predicted what was about to happen. And she was not ready for that.
"Come, LOKI!"
Akechi screamed the name of his second Persona, disappearing in red and black whirls and when he resurfaced, he looked completely different. Makoto watched in both horror and awe as the boy she had deep feelings for turned into the monster she was most afraid of: a dark outfit with purple stripes, gauntlets with claws for hands, a dark helmet covering most of his face, and his eyes… his eyes were red. Just like the terrible creature floating lazily behind him, as if bored, and watching them all mockingly. Akechi's new form terrified her more than anything. Not because of his sudden murderous instincts toward them, but because watching him with those clothes and that creature was the ultimate confirmation of what he had done, and that his heart had probably never really changed. That their friendship and her love never really helped him become a better person.
Her tears were in stark contrast with his crazy laughter as he finally showed his true colors.
"Now, let's see you drop dead one at a time, in front of your precious friends!" he announced in a voice that didn't belong to him. A far cry compared to his usual soothing one…
"DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!"
The new battle commenced as unexpectedly as the previous one, but Makoto could sense this new Akechi was ten times more powerful that the one they had just defeated. And even then she had to admit they only won because Robin had somehow decided to give up…
"This Persona… his power…" Futaba was saying, and Makoto could hear the girl was very alarmed. "Stay focused, everyone!"
Akechi was clearly unstoppable: the light blue saber sword he normally used had been replaced by a thin and sharp red blade, which he skillfully swung around as he randomly used his other claw to scratch or push away anyone who stood in his way. Loki was as terrifying, resting a long hand under its chin as it sat on a large and heavy-looking sword. The creature wasn't attacking continuously, but rather seemed to enjoy watching the opponent's struggle before striking back with a large grin and flashing red eyes.
Akira seemed to be again Akechi's favorite target, but this time the boy was making sure to injure as many as possible around him. Makoto's heart ached too much to allow her to attack him, and so she focused mainly on healing her teammates. She ran around the large engine room, ordering Johanna to help whomever was in need.
Just as she ran across the room for the umpteenth time to check up on Yusuke, who had suddenly fallen on all four, her eyes met his bright red ones. It probably happened in less than a second, but it felt much longer, like watching a movie in slow motion: his mad grin slowly faded and she was pretty sure she had got a glimpse of a frown from under his mask. Akechi looked confused and stunned for a moment right after that brief exchange of stares, and time seemed to freeze entirely as they stood motionless in front of one another. The roaring sounds of the battle and the screaming voices of her friends only seemed a background noise at the moment, something that was there but she could barely register it. All she knew was that Akechi was staring right back at her and he wasn't attacking her.
She realized she had been smiling weakly only when she felt it fade away from her lips as Akechi was hit by a dark red light and sent flying several feet backwards, slamming hard against the wall behind him and falling to the ground with a loud thump.
Makoto turned to glance at Akira, probably giving him a harder look than she had intended, and he apologized with his eyes. "I have to…" he said with sadness. Makoto then looked at Akechi, who was hardly standing up and massaging his sore back.
"Damn you…" he murmured angrily, all the confusion she had seen on his face mere moments before gone. "I will kill each and everyone of you… pieces of shit!"
Makoto lifted her chin and knew that Akechi was not the same brave and kind boy she once knew. Something had happened to him, something that changed him because that was the first time she heard him use vulgar words.
"Will you stop trying to fight us? We're friends, remember?!" Anne yelled at him, causing the boy to grit his teeth in frustration.
"I said shut up!" he then balled his hands into fists and shook his head violently. "What the FUCK is happening to me?"
"Akechi-kun!"
Makoto finally closed the gap between them and went to stand by his side, crouching to comfort him. "Akechi-kun…" she repeated softly.
"Get the hell away from me!" he grabbed her wrist and pushed her away, making her lose her balance and land painfully onto the cold floor.
She was still unsure of what had just happened as she heard the others scream her name and saw someone's shadow tower over her. It was Akechi's. "You foolish girl" he said with a tiny smirk. He then lifted his sword, though not without effort judging by the wounds he was sporting.
"No, please… you can fight this… Goro" she whispered as her whole body shook with fear. And then he stopped mid-action, widening his eyes.
He simply stood there, still brandishing his sword high up in the air with both arms, and looked down at her. The situation itself might have even looked comical from an external point of view, but Makoto was dying inside. Dying to know what had happened to him. Or what was going on in his mind in that exact moment.
Slowly, he lowered his arms and consequently his weapon. She could sense everyone's apprehension as they observed his every action. His eyes, however, seemed to have softened, like a dark veil had been removed from them.
"M-Makoto?" he mumbled, and she felt hope burning inside her chest again.
"Yes, it's me" she replied with a small smile.
He was still studying her face as if seeing it for the first time, and she could see he was as confused as everyone else, and that he had questions. Many.
"Did I…?" he started, but she never got to know what he was about to ask her. A familiar voice interrupted him. An extremely familiar voice that was not supposed to be there in the first place.
"Aw, what a lovely scene."
"Akechi?!"
"Wait… is there another one?"
"That's Shido's cognitive version of Akechi!" Morgana explained agitatedly.
Cognitive Akechi, with his expressionless and hollow eyes, extracted a gun and pointed it at the real one, still knelt down and with an arm wrapped around his waist to soothe the pain from his injuries.
"I'll deal with the rest of you later" he said without a trace of an emotion in his voice. "Captain Shido's orders... He has no need for losers. But then again, he was going to get rid of you after the election anyway."
"What?!" the real Akechi muttered through gritted teeth.
"Did you truly believe you'd be spared after all the murders you undertook? Don't tell me… were you actually feeling good about having someone rely on you for once?"
When the real Akechi didn't answer, looking away instead, the cognitive one continued relentlessly. "Oh by the way, the captain says it's time you receive retribution for causing the mental shutdowns."
"What the hell, man?!" Ryuji butted in furiously, agitating a fist at cognitive Akechi. "That bastard's the one who put him up to it!"
With what seemed to be his very last energies, Akechi finally managed to stand up and, to everyone's surprise, he chuckled. "I see… 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… sounds like something he'd do."
"That's right" cognitive Akechi said dreamily. "I'd do anything. But look at yourself. You're the true puppet."
"..!"
"You wanted to be acknowledged, didn't you? To be loved? You've been nothing but a puppet from the very beginning."
Makoto was feeling genuinely sick at those words, spat out like venom. But what hurt even more was observing the real Akechi's reaction: he was not livid as she had predicted. On the contrary, he looked almost resigned…
"This is… too horrible!"
"It's still not too late! We can still change his heart together!"
"What's this nagging about? Want me to take care of you too?" cognitive Akechi turned to glare at them murderously, as tons of Shadows appeared by his side.
"Oh no..! He's not alone. He has Shadows too!" Ann warned.
"You know what?" cognitive Akechi continued more calmly, though his gun was still pointed firmly at the real one. "I'll let someone volunteer to take his place. Who knows, you might delay his death. Here, I'll give you one last chance."
He was speaking directly to the real Akechi now, who adjusted his balance as he also extracted his gun, pointed it at Akira and chuckled. "I was such a fool…"
"Yes! That's the you our captain wishes to see…" cognitive Akechi announced triumphantly, but the other snickered again.
"Don't misunderstand. You're the one who's going to disappear!"
And, as fast as lightning, Akechi turned to his right and shot at his cognitive version- who fell on his knees- and then pointed the gun back at Akira and shot a target several feet behind him with extreme precision. The bullet pierced through the glass protecting the switch to the watertight bulkhead door, and a female voice announced the personnel should evacuate immediately, speaking over the loud sirens.
Everything happened way too fast for her to remember what exactly Akechi did to her, but she suddenly felt herself being lifted up by a pair of strong arms and being tossed forward, where she landed at Joker's feet just as a tall gate erected from the floor, blocking any access to the other side of the engine room where Akechi was still trapped together with his cognitive version and the other Shadows. Her head was spinning violently and she could barely recall some of the words he spoke.
"…let's make a deal, OK? You won't say no… will you? Change Shido's heart… in my stead! End his crimes… Akira, please?"
Joker's words broke her heart even more when he mumbled an "I promise" with such sadness she knew there was no hope to save the boy she cared about the most. She wanted to say so many things, shout them even, to make sure her words would reach him. She wanted to tell him they would find a way out, because they always did. And she found herself mentally cursing for not being able to gather enough strength to stand up and knock that damn door down.
Then she heard two gunshots. And then silence.
"His signal is… gone…"
He was gone.
It's not over! I refuse to let Goro die! :D So see you in next chapter, awesome folks! :*