Begin
~Normal POV
"Rule number 1, we never kill our targets, I doubt you'd do such a thing anyway but it's worth mentioning. No matter what they've done, they have to live to face their crimes. Rule number 2, before we go after any target, there must be a unanimous vote on doing so. It's to prevent us from picking people at random, even if they're in need of a change of heart. Rule number 3, I don't care how much older you are than us, you never enter the Metaverse alone. You can't contact anyone outside if something goes wrong, so you must always have at least one person with you for backup. Rule number 4, you will never turn your weapon on a fellow Phantom Thief; conflicts or disagreements are solved with words. And finally, rule number 5, don't use codenames outside the Metaverse; Mona is the only exception, but be careful who you say it in front of."
Zenkichi nodded in understanding listening to Akira's little explanation; they were back in reality in his bar hideout. He was actually glad to know these kids were so organized they had their own list of laws to guide them. "That's a pretty fair set of rules."
"If you ever forget any of them, I assure you, we won't," Akira added.
"So… how does this change of heart thing work- for you guys?"
"Normally, we start by securing an infiltration route- a path to the stolen Desires- then we send the calling card to warn the Monarch about the heist." Futaba explained. "But since Akane's Jail is so recent it doesn't have any stolen Desires yet! It doesn't even have a birdcage, or a Trauma Cell. So, for this instance alone, we just charge through, find Akane, and talk her down."
"And we can do all that today," Makoto added, reassuringly. "We'll rescue Akane in no time, all you have to do is follow our lead. And you don't have to worry about getting brainwashed anymore."
"Oh, why's that?"
"Simply put, a Persona protects your heart from ever being distorted. That's also what our outfits are for." Makoto answered, "We don't wear them by choice- they're like special armor that represent your image of your 'inner rebel,' and they keep us from being affected by the Metaverse's distortions. That's why we've been safe from getting turned into mindless zombies this whole time."
"Huh…" Zenkichi said, curiously. "I wondered how you were getting around that so easily."
"How are you feeling now," Haru asked.
Zenkichi smiled. "I'm alright; a little rest goes a long way with me. If you're all ready, let's get going."
~...
Traversing the rest of the Jail was a little disorienting. The place was bigger than it seemed, but they'd made it in the end. Zenkichi took well to being a Phantom Thief. He didn't even mind taking orders from Akira. He wasn't as agile as everyone else, due to his age, but he made up for it with raw strength that rounded the team out nicely. Though he was confused at first by seeing Akira's special powers, he chose not to question him on it further. (Not that he could have gotten much of an answer anyway, even Akira didn't know everything about his own powers.)
They found Akane at the very end of the Jail. In reality, this would have been where the heart of the shrine was located. In all honesty, despite the circumstances, this might have been the nicest Jail they'd seen yet. The atmosphere was strangely serene and the scenery was simply beautiful. Even if it was also a monument to the Phantom Thieves- with their logo scattered about everywhere. They approached Akane's throne; she didn't look surprised by their entrance.
"I've been waiting for you imposters… Yeah, even you." Akane said, disdainfully, gesturing to Zenkichi. "I'm gonna end you all right here. After that, it's payback time for the guy who killed my mom!"
"Akane, please listen! I'm done running away! I will catch the villain who killed your mother without fail! I swear it on Aoi's name! So please, give this up already!"
"How can I trust a word you say?!" Akane scoffed. "All adults do is lie… Even if there are bad people in the world, they just pretend they don't exist. And the Phantom Thieves came along, shattering lies and leaving truth in their wake! But now…!"
"Hear me out, Akane-chan." Makoto said, "I'm sure you've noticed, too, but Zenkichi is just as torn up over losing your mother. All he could do was fight the pain the best way he knew how! But because of how painful your experience was, you didn't want to accept his solution."
"No!" Akane argued, "That's not true!"
"You know it's not that simple, Akane-chan!" Makoto continued. "Your father isn't the one at fault! It's the man who killed your mother in the first place! I can't begin to imagine the pain and suffering you went through… but please, give your father a chance!"
"What are you…" Akane didn't finish her thought, so Makoto kept talking.
"Once you lose somebody, it's too late to tell them anything ever again. Holding back will only lead to regret later down the line. And in order to avoid that… you need to face the truth head-on! That's something I could only learn from the people right here!"
Akane narrowed her eyes angrily. "Shut up… Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! The Phantom Thieves would never spew such lies! They would be on my side! The real Phantom Thieves… would never hurt me… The real Phantom Thieves… are my friends!"
~...
"No way… How could this happen?" Akane said, in disbelief. "How could my Phantom Thieves lose…?"
That was easily their most difficult battle yet, but they'd managed it. Akane was too stunned at her Shadows' loss to even speak for a moment. She was examining them all curiously. Hm. The only people who could possibly beat the Phantom Thieves would have to be… themselves… They were too strong to be taken down otherwise. They always got their target in the end. There was only one conclusion she could draw in her mind.
"Does that mean…" Akane cautiously approached them. "You're the real ones…?"
"That's right, Akane-chan," Akira replied, smiling. "We're the real deal."
She gazed up at him with awe and admiration. "So you're… the actual Joker…?"
"You betcha. Can't mimic authenticity!" Futaba answered.
"Please, trust us, Akane-chan!" Haru said, "And your father, too!"
"None of us would ever give into injustice," Ann said, fiercely.
"And no matter what, we never stray from our chosen path," Makoto added.
Zenkichi approached his daughter, hoping to make her see reason at last. "To be honest, Akane… you were right. I'm probably the worst dad out there. I couldn't avenge Aoi, nor could I carry out my duties as an officer. Hell, I couldn't even talk to you face to face. I was afraid… to lose you. And so, I turned my back on justice… And buried the thought of vengeance for Aoi. All this time, I've been fooling myself, thinking one day I'd get my chance. But I couldn't have been more wrong! So I want to set things right! I swear that I'll bring those criminals to justice for what they've done to you two! And Akane, I need your courage to do it!"
Tears filled Akane's eyes. "Really…? Are you really going after him?"
"Yes. Consider it a promise to your mother!"
"Then, if it's a promise, I will never ever forgive you if you break it…"
"Don't worry. I never will, Akane."
Akane, feeling the effects of her heart being changed, smiled tearfully. It finally felt like her father was telling the truth. "I… I believe you… I always have… Dad…"
She was very weak all of a sudden, and didn't know why. She stumbled unsteadily before collapsing onto the ground. Her hat fell off in the process, meaning she'd lose control of the Jail as a Monarch. Zenkichi gasped and quickly ran to her side to help her sit up.
"Akane?! Stay with me, Akane!"
Akane smiled up at him. "I've always been so scared… of losing what's precious to me. After mom passed away, you changed… You used to be so cool… Then, suddenly, you didn't even want to look me in the eye. You were never home either… like you didn't wanna see me. I hated that."
"Akane…"
"But it's ok now. I can tell you want to be the dad I used to know." Akane's Shadow started to fade.
"What is this… What's happening!?" Zenkichi cried, panicking.
"I'm really sorry, dad… And… thanks…" Akane vanished in a flash of light, returning safely to her body.
"AKANE?!"
"Calm down, Wolf." Morgana said, "This is how it always happens."
"What!?"
"Akane-chan, or should I say Akane-chan's Shadow, went back to her real body." Ann explained. "That's how a change of heart works. She'll be back to normal and feeling better in no time. So cheer up, Wolf!"
"You guys couldn't have mentioned that sooner!?" Zenkichi screamed in a high, panicky voice. He almost had a heart attack just now! Why'd they have to mess with him like that?!
"That display of emotion as you cried your heart out… It was touching, to say the least." Yusuke said, smiling.
"Mhmm, it made me cry a little, too." Haru said, wiping her eyes behind her mask.
"You were great, Wolf," Akira added, supportively.
"I- I wasn't doing it for the compliments…" Zenkichi said, quietly.
"Gotta say, you're one helluva dad," Ryuji said, brightly.
"Very admirable, Wolf," Sophia added.
"And that's putting it mildly," Makoto said. "He did everything he could to protect Akane-chan, even risking his own life."
Zenkichi got to his feet again. "Would you cut it out? I'm nowhere near that competent."
Morgana laughed. "Are you blushing? Heh, all joking aside, there's no need to hold back anymore, Wolf. Together we can strike down any evil, all of us working as one!"
Zenkichi smiled a little. "Hmph. Never thought a thief could teach me a thing or two. But you know what, I made Akane a promise. To arrest Konoe and Owada, and bring this case to an end!"
"Damn right!" Ryuji shouted in agreement.
"Uh… not to backtrack but… what's going on with Akane in the real world?!" Zenkichi asked, worriedly.
That gave them a moment of pause. "We… came here because we heard she was kidnapped…" Ann said, slowly.
"You'd better get home and check on her," Akira said, "The kidnapping must have just been a lie to spring the trap. We'll head back to the bar and wait for you."
~...
Zenkichi ran back to his house first thing after getting back to reality. Upon getting inside, he didn't even register the emptiness of his living room and bolted straight for Akane's room. He opened the door and found his daughter asleep in her bed. Perfectly safe and sound, without a scratch on her. A weight lifted off his heart. He turned on the lights and went to pull her desk chair over to sit beside her.
"Akane…" He said, quietly. "You've become so much like your mother. You grew up maybe even a little too fast. I was so desperate to protect you that I became blind to just about everything else. I failed you as a father… but I'm done running away. Konoe is gonna pay for using you. And Owada's going down with him. He's going to answer for taking Aoi from us. I won't lose sight of justice ever again."
Akane stirred suddenly and slowly opened her eyes. She peered up at him confusedly. "...Dad?"
"Akane?!" Zenkichi said, breathlessly with a smile. "Are you alright?! You're not hurt anywhere or anything, are you!?"
She sat up in bed and smiled. "I'm ok."
Zenkichi sighed with relief and hugged her. "Oh, good…"
She was a little groggy still but didn't push him away. "When did I fall asleep?"
So that was it, Zenkichi thought. She must have been comatose while she was brainwashed this whole time. Well, at least it meant she was safe in here all along.
"That's right." He mumbled, still holding her close. "You wouldn't remember…"
"Remember what?"
Zenkichi pulled back from the hug. "Ah… Er, how should I explain this…" He took a deep breath. "Alright, we'll take it nice and slow. There's a lot to talk about. Will you hear me out, Akane?"
Akane nodded. "Ok…"
He'd never be able to tell her he was a Phantom Thief, but at least he could tell her the truth, and about his new goal. For her sake, he would bring Konoe to his knees by any means necessary.
~End of Chapter
Side note: The Kyoto Jail had the best boss fight ever and nothing will change my mind.
