Persona 5: Shots Through the Heart

Shot: 15: BASTARD!

"Hey, kid. You don't want to know what happens when you cross me."

With the sound of a violent heartbeat and shattering glass echoing in his head, Akira's mind turned to that of a fresh sheet a paper. Blank.

Shotgun blast to the the heart at point blank range? A massive truck hit at max speed? A nuclear bomb explosion? A gargantuan meteor strike from above? None of these things even came close to measuring the shock of the falsely labeled criminal when he hears those words. So many others started rushing through his head.

It seems the customer base has changed since I was here last. Have they started a daycare?

This ain't a show! Get lost, kid!

Damn brat! I'll sue!

All of those words were spoken by one heartless man. The man who is the mastermind behind all of the mental shutdown and psychotic breakdown cases, the man who strives to be prime minister and rule over a corrupt country with an iron fist, and more importantly, the man who robbed an innocent 16 year-old boy of his future for no reason other than pissing him off:

Masayoshi Shido.

The high and mighty bastard of a man scowls at Akira, his orange tinted glasses highlighting the evil glint in his eyes.

"What're you looking at?" he asks with his deep, intimidating voice. Akira, still petrified by his revelation, remains silent and continues to stare at his nemesis. Shido, not wanting to waste his time with people lower than him, including Ryuji, who was trying to start a fight, and Haru, who stepped in to stop him, shakes his head and sighs in disapproval.

"This country is filled with clueless children… I worry for Japan's future." He calls off his bodyguards, saying he has a meeting to get to, they all get in his limo, and it zooms off, leaving Akira still frozen in shock.

Ryuji grunts in frustration and turns to his best friend.

"What a piece of shit. So whaddya think after seeing him in person?" Akira gave no response. Ryuji's mouth may have been moving like he was talking, but he couldn't hear, feel, or see anything. Because the catastrophic crash of reality blocked out everything.

Ryuji, noticing Akira's bewildered face and his trembling hands, walks up to him and lightly shakes him by his shoulder.

"Uh, Akira? You alright?" Still no response. Haru and Morgana walk up to him.

"Akira-kun?"

"Hey, Akira, what's wrong?" Akira, still cut off from his senses, opens his quivering mouth.

"... I-I… I-I-I… I-I can't believe this…" That little whisper is a the three could hear before he loses his balance and falls back on his butt. His friends rush to his aid.

"Whoa! Dude!"

"Akira-kun, what's the matter?!"

"Hey, c'mon! Say something!" Again, no response. His eyes just shoot straight up at the sky and he starts breathing heavily. Mona notices that people are starting to stare at them.

"People are looking. Let's deal with this back at Leblanc." Ryuji nods.

"Right. Haru, get his other shoulder."

xxx

Ann anxiously waits with everyone for her boyfriend and the others to come back after they chased after Shido. She knew Akira would be the most careful, especially since he's supposed to play dead man. Ryuji was another story entirely.

Ann leaps out of her seat at the sound of the door opening, seeing Mona walk through.

"Hey! You guys found anything out?"

"Uh, that later. … I think. Can someone get a glass of water? I think?"

"Huh? What's with all the "I think"s?" Everyone's eyes widen when Ryuji and Haru come in carrying a still petrified Akira.

"Easy, buddy," Ryuji says to him. "Go ahead and sit down." Akira slowly sits down in the booth and hangs his head. Ann hurries over to him, then glares at Ryuji.

"Akira, are you okay? Ryuji, what the hell did you do?!" Ryuji slumps his shoulders and hangs his head.

"There ya go again, thinkin' everything bad that happens is my fault!"

"Ryuji-kun started a fight with one of Shido's men," Haru explains. "But that's not what's happened. Akira-kun just fell over, for some reason." As everyone is conversing, Akira's senses slowly start to return, but only because of a raging force building inside his heart. A dark malicious force born from the anger that he's been trying to keep in check. Now that his nemesis has appeared once again, the chains on it have come undone, making everything around look crimson red in his eyes.

Everyone stops talking when Akira starts lightly banging his palms on the table. His breathing starts to heavy as he shuts his eyes. Ann starts rubbing his back.

"Akira? What's wrong?" He stops banging his hands and growls as he balls them up into fists. His teeth would be grinded into dust if they weren't so strong. Ann and everyone start to worry.

"A-Akira?"

"Hey, say something," Futaba says as she shakes him. Inevitably unable to keep his top from blowing any longer, he inhales deeply, then slams his fists on the table and lets out a blood curdling roar.

"AAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGH!" Everyone winces at his dreadful scream.

"Whoa! What the eff?! What's wrong with you?!" Ryuji shouts. Akira, absolutely furious, slams his right fist again and pulls at his hair as he thrashes around, powerless to stop his vicious eruption.

"WHAT THE FUCKING HELL?! GOD FUCKING DAMMIT! FUCK! NGH, GRAAAAAAAH!" Ann pulls his hands off of his head, gripping his wrists.

"Akira! You're scaring everyone! Please! Just calm down and tell us what's wrong!" Akira snatches his hands away and covers his face, trying to calm down so he can explain. He manages to calm himself enough to speak without punching something.

"... So… much… bullshit…!" he growls. "Of all people who could have been trying to take over the country… Why that bastard?! Why the hell did it have to be him?!" He covers his head.

"How the fuck is it the same drunk, rapist asshole who took everything from me?!" Everyone knew immediately who he was talking about.

"What...?!" Ann gasps. "No…!"

"No way... He's the jerk you told us about before?!" Ryuji asks. "The same guy?! For real?! Seriously?!" Haru takes a good look at Akira's face.

"You're sure… aren't you?" she asks. Akira uncovers his head and glares at the ceiling.

"I've heard his voice a number of times after coming to Tokyo," he grumbles. "Every damn time, I felt like I've heard it before… Now, I know why."

"Talk about a destined connection," Makoto says. Yusuke crosses his arms.

"What kind of fate would bring you two back together?" he asks. Futaba pushes up her glasses.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's not just because," she says.

"Shido was involved with cognitive research too, right?" Mona asks as he scratches his ear. "This can't be dismissed as just a coincidence." Sojiro scratches his head in frustration.

"God… what the hell is going on here?" Sae puts a hand on her hip.

"Shido was already a politician then," she says. "Yet, he sued a student and ruined his future? He must've pulled some strings so that his name wouldn't be mentioned. Furthermore, he would've also had to force that woman into making a false statement."

"He would do anything," Yusuke points out. "We're talking about a man who ordered a hit inside the police station."

"He can't sit still until he crushes whoever opposes him, no matter how trivial," Sojiro grumbles. "He's always been that way."

"So what?! I'm just some goddamn rock on the road to him?!" Akira yells. "Did he basically throw me in lava just cuz he was mad that he fucking tripped on me?!" Akira feels his brain painfully pulsating, as if it was trying to grow enough to blow up his skull, and rubs his temples.

"Nggggh! God, it feels like my head's about to explode!" Futaba helps him massage his head.

"Easy. Just breath, okay? In, out."

"What a piece of shit!" Ryuji barks. "Children are the future, my ass! What he's sayin' and doin' are completely different!" Ann points her thumb at her angry boyfriend.

"But now that we found out who did it, can't something be done about Akira's record?!"

"Once the courts have made a judgement, overturning that decision will be difficult," Sae says. "It'd barely be possible even if proof of innocence is presented and Shido admits to his crimes." Akira pulls at his hair again.

"This is just so damn wrong! Just… AGH! GOD DAMMIT!" He hammerfists the table again and storms up to his room, leaving his comrades to worry.

"I-I've never seen him get like that before," Futaba stutters.

"The asshole who put him through hell shows up trying to take over Japan," Ryuji sighs as he scratches his head. "Definitely can't say I blame him."

The gang decided to finish the meeting and agree to meet up after school tomorrow at the Diet Building to enter Shido's Palace.

"So… what do we do about Akira-kun?" Haru asks in concern. "He seemed really upset."

"I think his "baby sis" and his "clone" should talk to him," Ryuji says with a smirk directed at Ann, to her surprise.

"Clone? You mean me?" Ryuji frowns.

"You guys are so alike and get along so well… it honestly freaks the hell outta me. Still, if a number of people can talk him down, you'd be one of these people. Honestly, I'm surprised you guys aren't dating by now." The room goes completely silent.

"What'd you guys go silent for?!" Ann shakes his head as she and Futaba get up and start walking up to Akira's room.

"Nothing. We'll see you guys later. C'mon, Futaba."

xxx

Akira sits on his bed, trying to get a firm hold on his sanity as his mind floods with white hot rage. But everytime he thinks he has a hold of himself, Shido's face pops up in his head, making him furious again.

"That… bastard…!" As he is taking deep breaths, he hears a knock coming from the stairs.

"Akira? It's me and Futaba. Can we come up?"

"Oh… Y-Yeah… Come on in…" Ann and Futaba walk up the stairs, Mona trailing behind him, and sit beside him with concern on their faces.

"You okay?" Futaba asks. Akira sighs and chuckles as he shakes his head.

"Nope… Far from it…" Ann wraps her arm around his shoulders and places her head on his. He doesn't respond to her gesture at all.

"Wanna know what the really stupid part is?" Akira asks. "Even when I ran into him at the Wilton Hotel and saw him on TV… I didn't recognize him at all… He ruined my life… And I couldn't even remember his face…"

"You were in shock after your arrest," Mona says. "Everything happened so fast and he hid himself afterwards. There's no way you could have known." Akira growls as he puts a hand on his face.

"Why does life keeping fucking with me?! What the hell did I do to deserve this?!" Ann squeezes his shoulders.

"Hey, calm down." Akira jumps up and stomps around the room in a huff.

"How the hell am I supposed to stay calm right now?! My life's gotten so much better since I moved here!" He hangs his head and looks at the palm of his right hand.

"I… I've grown from the little kid I used to be… I've learned so much… I got the power to help people and make this world better… And more importantly, I got the best friends I could ever ask for…" Akira grits his teeth and makes a fist.

"I was honestly ready to let what Shido did to me go! But now here he comes again, trying to ruin everything!" Futaba taps her "big bro's" shoulder.

"I know how you feel," she says. "He took something important from me too, remember?" Akira sighs, remembering that Shido killed Futaba's mother in order to steal her cognitive research. Not to mention he forged a suicide note to place all of the blame of her death on her for being a "terrible daughter" and driving her insane enough to kill herself, which her relatives stupidly believed and maliciously abused her for it.

Ann walks up to her seething lover.

"That's why we're doing this, right?" Ann asks. "He's ruined and taken more than too many lives already!" Akira takes a deep breath and looks at the girls with a serious look.

"Yeah… If Bastard Shido becomes prime minister… this rotten world where the weak are left to die is only gonna get worse." As he solidifies his vow to bring down the "future" prime minister, an evil red glint shines in Akira's eyes.

"Shido rules this country over my cold, dead body." Ann and Futaba step back a bit in fear. They've never seen look in his eyes before. Akira pulls on his hood and marches down the stairs.

"Huh- Wait! Where you going?!" Ann asks.

"Out. I'll be fine."

xxx

Akira appears in his prisoner attire in his usual jail cell of the Velvet Room where Igor, Caroline, and Justine are waiting for him.

"I have been expecting you, Trickster," Igor says with his usual deep tone and creepy smile. Akira glares at him and marches up to the cell door.

"Then you know exactly why I'm here," he says. "The twins already told you about our deal, right?" Igor slowly nods.

"Indeed. By completing a series of small tasks during your rehabilitation, you have been granted certain privileges in regards to Persona Execution. So… you wish for more power than your mind can handle?"

"Why bother asking when you already know the goddamn answer? Just hurry the hell up and do it, Old Man!" Akira jumps back when Caroline whacks the bars with her baton. The twins glare at him.

"Have you lost your mind?!" Caroline shouts. "You have no right to speak to our master like that, Inmate!"

"If that is how you are going behave after all we've done for you," Justine says coldly. "Then perhaps we should retract all the rights we've-" Suddenly, the twins feel great pressure on their necks and start suffocating, as if invisible hands suddenly reached out and grabbed them.

"Gah! Ugh! M-My… My neck!" Caroline gasps.

"Ngh! What is… this?! Hngh!" Crimson energy skeletal hands appear from inside the cell as they slowly lift them off the ground.

"I AM NOT! IN THE MOOD! FOR YOU LITTLE SHITS TO FUCK WITH ME!" The twins open their eyes and are shocked to see a ghastly red phantom coming out of a piercing red eyed Akira as if it was a demon created from his anger. Akira furiously grabs the bars and he roars at the petite wardens, his voice resembling that of an unholy demon from Hell.

"YOU KNOW WHAT I NEED! YOU KNOW WHY I NEED IT! NOW ARE YOU GONNA GIVE IT TO ME, OR DO I HAVE TO FUCKING RIP IT OUT OF YOU?!" The red phantom sends them both flying across the room and into the wall before disappearing. Igor turns to the two as they try to catch their breath and chuckles.

"You seem to possess more … "drive" than usual."

"This is a mission that I can't mess up, no matter what it takes!" Akira growls, his voice still corrupted. "If I'm gonna make Bastard Shido pay, I need all the power I can get! Every! Last! Bit!" Igor nods, snaps his fingers, and the cell door is unlocked.

"Very well. Girls, let us not keep this man waiting any longer. Begin the preparations." The girls get to their feet and reluctantly walk over to Akira, who's outburst of rage has struck fear in their hearts.

"... Y-Yes, Master," they both mumble. Justine brings Akira out of his cell and to the center of the room in front of a small hole while Caroline grabs an iron pole that splits down the middle on the bottom half.

"What's this for?" Akira coldly asks Justine, who flinches when he speaks to her.

"T-These Persona executions will cause sudden influxes of power in your mind," Justine mumbles as she takes of Akira's cuffs so he can put his hands behind his back, where she puts them back on. "It's a very painful process." Caroline cautiously walks over with the pole.

"T-This is to keep you from thrashing around too much," she stutters. "Get on your knees for me… please." Akira gets on his knees and Caroline quickly slides the iron pole onto the chains and into the hole, secures it, prevent him from moving, then quickly jumps back.

After choosing his desired Personas, Caroline slowly holds a rubber mouthpiece to his face.

"B-Bite down on this… I-It's to keep you from biting your tongue off." Akira does as she says and the twins stand at the guillotines.

"Are you prepared?" Igor asks. Akira nods with no hesitation at all.

The next few moments consisted of constant drops of guillotine blades. For each execution, a violent surge of power causes Akira to lash out and scream in agony. It was similar to electricity and lava rushing through his body at the same time. He didn't care though. It was a necessary means to an end.

After what felt like an hour of torture, all of executions were completed. Igor and the wardens stare at Akira, who is covered in smoke and hanging his head with his eyes closed.

"Are you satisfied?" Igor asks. Akira takes a deep breath, feeling the power he desired to destroy his enemy swirling within him, and glares at the three with the same red eyes from before.

"... Very."

Target: Hit

Author's Note: Just so you guys know, it's gotten to the point where I won't be able to point where I can't publish two chapters a week anymore. I already had a couple chapters ready before I started this series, but these last few chapters have been taking longer to write. I'll try to do a double publish if I can. Just don't expect it. :P

Anyway, hope you're enjoying the show! :)