Begin!
~Normal POV
9/7 - Thursday
It had been over a week since Zenkichi and the Phantom Thieves parted ways. He couldn't help wondering what those crazy kids would get up to once they were out of school. Heh, he could imagine it, actually. They'll turn into good, hard-working members of society and nobody would ever know what kind of shenanigans they got into as teenagers. Kurusu and Takamaki will be happy together; he just knew it. They reminded him a lot of him and Aoi when they were in college together. Sakamoto and Okumura were a good match despite his initial judgements; they clearly cared for each other and seeing how they fought alongside one another proved that. He wished all those kids all the happiness in the world really. Good kids they were…
It's not that he wasn't allowed to call himself a Phantom Thief any longer, but no matter how much they accepted him in the end, he'd always feel a bit distant from the group due to his age. Nonetheless, he wouldn't be opposed to seeing the gang again in the future. If he ever had the chance. Maybe that was why they occupied his mind at the moment. God, was he starting to miss them already? What was wrong with him? He put those thoughts aside and went down to pick up his mail.
Nothing of particular note arrived for them today… except one thing: A letter addressed to himself that was apparently sent from Café LeBlanc?
He smiled a bit wondering what this could be about. Upon returning to his apartment, he cut the envelope open and found there were three pieces of paper inside. One had his name typed on the top, so he pulled it out first and read it. He doubted there were any fingerprints on it anyway. They were smarter than that.
Zenkichi,
This won't arrive for about a week or so, but these were written shortly after your departure. We had a few things to say that we didn't get a chance to in person.
First off, thank you. You believed in us all along. We were wrong to doubt your intentions, and we are sorry. We hope you've forgiven us for it. You proved your loyalty in a way we never saw coming, and we are truly grateful. We're happy to have helped you with your problems, as well. We hope it's a fair way of returning the favor.
Akane is a sweet kid. We liked her a lot, and we hope she's doing better now. Enclosed within this envelope is a little gift for her. We think she'll like it.
You'll probably hear from us again in a few years. Maybe if you're not busy you can come to a wedding or two somewhere down the line? You're welcome to bring Akane, of course. Or maybe in the more immediate future, if you ever want to stop by the café for a drink, you're welcome to do so. Don't worry, we cleared it up with the owner. He'll let you have whatever you want.
And finally, the last thing we need to address. You helped us out a lot. And you share the same thing that makes us special; the will of rebellion. So, make sure you take care of yourself, and stay in shape.
You never know when you might be called back into the line of duty… Wolf.
P.S. - Congratulations on cuffing Owada.
Zenkichi couldn't stop smiling as he read the letter. He put the paper into his jacket, making sure it was completely hidden. He'd have to dispose of it later, lest Akane find it. If she found out about his secret identity, it'd only put her in danger again. He could see the other two papers still inside the envelope, one was a very distinctive red and black. He didn't have to read the two to know they were likely both for Akane. He pulled them out of the envelope and tossed it onto his desk.
He went down the hall and knocked on Akane's bedroom door; keeping the two pieces of paper hidden behind his back. "Akane! You got some mail!"
The door quickly opened. Despite Akane being more open with him lately since her change of heart, and after Owada's arrest, she still kept her bedroom closed off to him a lot. But that wasn't entirely abnormal or bothersome. As long as she was amicable with him, that was what mattered. She deserved to keep her privacy.
"What is it," She asked.
He handed her a folded up letter. "There's this. I don't know what it says, but it's got your name on it, so it must be important."
Akane gave him a puzzled look, but opened the paper and read it aloud, mostly to herself.
Miss Akane Hasegawa,
We found your Phantom Thieves livestream recently, and thought it was quite enjoyable. We'd like you to know that we cherish every one of our fans, and you're no exception! Thus, since you have proven yourself to be such a devoted supporter, we've sent you a little message to show our gratitude.
Miss Oracle would like to compliment you on your excellent use of the internet and social media to spread our message of justice!
Mr. Fox would like to compliment you on your room's tasteful aesthetic. And he's very flattered that you like the logo. He made it himself.
Mr. Mona would like to remind you that, while it may not seem like it sometimes, people aren't all bad. As long as you find the right ones; who will stay loyal no matter what.
The Queen would like to tell you that being a fan is great, but she hopes it doesn't interfere with your grades. We had to do well in school, too!
Lady Noir would like to remind you to stay healthy, and always eat your vegetables. We do too, you know! That's how we got so strong!
Mr. Skull would like to compliment you on your absolutely spot-on impression of our leader! (To which he protested that he does not sound like that!)
Miss Sophie would like to say your support for us allows the hope we give to guide humanity like a companion.
Miss Panther would like to inform you that she stole our leader's heart a long time ago. Plus, he's a little old for you. But don't let rejection deter you, there are tons of great guys out there! She found hers with a little basic human kindness; maybe the same will be true for you someday.
Mr. Wolf would like to say that you're still young and you have your whole life ahead of you. It's ok to not know where the path might lead. He sure didn't, since he joined up with us of all people!
Our leader, Joker, would like you to know that family isn't always about blood. It can also be the people who care for you and want you in their life. He found such a family in his fellow thieves. Always remember that when you make new friends, you never know how important they'll end up being.
It took all of Zenkichi's willpower to keep his poker face while he listened. He had a feeling he knew what was on the card they left for her too. Those kids had really gone all-out for her. They even made sure to include him in their message.
"Oh. My. God… THE PHANTOM THIEVES WATCHED MY LIVESTREAM!?" Akane shouted, beaming with joy and hugging the letter to her chest like a stuffed toy.
"Ahem," He said, getting her attention once more. "There was also this." He handed her the little red and black card.
If he thought her smile couldn't get any brighter, he was quickly proven wrong. She yanked the calling card from his hand and read it aloud.
Thank you for all your support, Akane
Signed, The Phantom Thieves of Hearts
Joker, Panther, Skull, Noir, Mona, Queen, Oracle, Fox, Sophie, Wolf
Akane squealed in delight. "Dad! Look!"
It was filled with printed autographs from the whole team. (Morgana had put an ink paw-print down under his name.) It was done up in fonts to resemble various handwriting styles, but Zenkichi knew these kids were smart enough to avoid actually showing off their real handwriting. They even put his codename in too. He stared at it while she gushed about getting her heroes' signatures.
Akane had gone into overdrive on the fangirling meter; talking about how eager she was to show this off to her subscribers. She even mentioned something about revising her Phantom Thieves fanfic, whatever that was. ("What if they find that too!? I gotta make it a masterpiece before it's up to their standards! And Joker and Panther?! Together?! I gotta add that to the next chapter of my stream!") She quickly bolted back over to her desk and opened her laptop to get right to work. Zenkichi stood in the doorway watching her with a content smile. After a moment, he went back down the hall to his office to let her work in peace.
He pulled out his own Phantom Thief letter and read it through once more. He wiped a few stray tears from his eyes as he did so and chuckled softly to himself.
The last calling card they ever sent was for Akane as a gift.
"Bunch of damn softies…"
~The End!
And that's it! This duology was the most massive undertaking I've done for any fandom I've ever been a part of, but it's done! I don't consider myself to be a good writer, but I hope you enjoyed it!
Thank you for reading! :)
