Persona 5: Shots Through the Heart

Shot 24: My Turn

A very familiar feeling that came back with a vengeance.

Shock. Confusion. Nausea. Sorrow. Fear. Denial. Anger. All of those feelings rushed through Ann's body as she is told that her worst nightmare has become reality. It was so sudden and so unexpected. It didn't make any sense to her at first, but she saw all the evidence on the news this morning.

Akira Kurusu, her boyfriend and the unstoppable leader of the Phantom Thieves, has turned himself in to the police.

Ryuji punches his booth seat in sheer anger.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" he roars.

"I don't comprehend!" Yusuke exclaims. "The hero who saved this nation, and the world, is now living in juvenile hall?!"

"It's just how the system works…" Sojiro sighs. Ann hangs her head and grips her black leggings in anger.

It's a messed up system! she thinks.

"Don't let it get to you."

"I did my best to discuss the options," Makoto sighs in defeat. "But… nothing I said could change the outcome…" Ryuji punches his seat again.

"Dammit! This can't be happenin'!" Ann slams her hand on the table.

"Are we supposed to just agree to this?!" she screams. "I can't do that!"

"Me neither!" Futaba adds.

"I must object as well," Yusuke says.

"Wanting to interrogate him makes sense," Haru explains. "But the measures following were questionable at best."

"All that talk about his record and probation is bullshit!" Ryuji exclaims. "Akira didn't do any of that!" Ann turns to Makoto.

"Won't everything just cancel out if Shido tells the whole truth?!" Makoto shakes her head.

"That won't be enough," she says. "Remember what my sister said before? In order to overturn a sentence, you definitive evidence that proves the suspect's innocence."

"Evidence…?!" Ryuji repeats. "How are we gonna find anything like that…?! I mean… the police were in on that crap too… so any proof they got's probably been destroyed…" Yusuke turns to the pint sized hacker.

"Futaba, is there any way you can use your computer to find information?"

"I'll do what I can," Futaba says. "But don't put too much faith in it. It's not some kind of almighty device."

"The Metaverse doesn't exist anymore either," Haru says. "Boss, do you know of any other means by which we can help him?" Everyone turns to Sojiro, who shakes his head.

"... And… I'm pretty sure he doesn't want any help…" he says. He pulls an envelope from out of his pocket and shows it to everyone.

"The kid sent me a text this morning telling me to find this in his room… It's for you guys." He opens the envelope, pulls out the letter, and clears his throat before reading it aloud.

To my band of thieves,

Merry Christmas! Although, it might not be so merry right now. After all, by the time you hear these words, I'll be at the police station being told that I'll be transferred to juvenile hall for stepping out of line during my probation and for my crimes as the leader of the Phantom Thieves. It's too bad I can't be there for our last celebration party, but this is something that had to be done.

Ever since I moved to Tokyo, the fear of being sent to jail for reasons out of my control always hovered over me. The thought being locked up in a cell all alone, completely stripped of my freedom? Yeah, it was scary as hell.

But after awakening to my Persona and becoming a Phantom Thief, that fear started to bother me less and less as I slowly began to change. It's because I knew what I was doing was right, no matter what people thought or what consequences it could bring. I actually felt like I had the power to reshape the rotten world around me. And to my surprise, I actually did it. And it was all only possible because I met you all.

Each one of you gave me so much strength as we fought side by side together. I learned so many new things from each of you and you guys were there for me when I needed it most when we were dealing with Shido. It was the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me and I couldn't be more grateful. Awesome people like you guys don't deserve a life behind bars, so if I need to go to make sure you don't have to, so be it.

I know this sounds wrong and completely unfair to you guys, and believe me, I started having doubts too as the time grew closer. Still, remember what Mona and I said before? "I will see my justice through for the sake of protecting what I care about. It can cost my future or even my life, but I will protect them all." Now's the perfect time for me to make good on that vow. And if I'm really gonna go down, at least I can take solace in the fact that I'm dragging Bastard Shido down with me. This is my case, after all. I have to finish things. With him and with myself too.

So, if you're all wondering what you can do to help me, I'll tell you: Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I don't want you guys wasting the freedom I gave up mine for trying to get it back. Just keep moving forward, listen to your hearts, follow the path you believe, and live how you are always meant to live: Free. Think of this as the final order from your leader. And if I hear anything about you trying to do something, I'm gonna be hella pissed.

This is most likely the last time you'll ever hear from me again, so I'm gonna say this now from the bottom of my heart: Thank you. Thank you all for so much. Thank you for the frowns and the smiles. For the cries and the laughs. For the losses and the victories. Just… thank you for everything. All that was mixed together to make the greatest year of my life, bar none. The greatest honor for me, both as a phantom thief and person, wasn't taking down the man that wronged me, or stealing the hearts of the entire world. All of that doesn't mean anything to me.

The greatest honor for me... was having you guys as my unstoppable team... and my best friends. Every single one of you. And no matter how much time I lose rotting in a lonely solitary confinement cell, please know that I'll never forget you. Ever.

Akechi, may he rest in peace now, told me this as his final words. Now, I'm saying it to you all...

Keep flying, Phantom Thieves.

~ Your friend always, Akira

Everyone hung their heads in deep sorrow and confusion, Ann especially. Their leader just gave them strict orders not to try to get him out of jail and waste his sacrifice. They know he deserves so much better, but he's willingly letting this happen to keep them safe as if he owed them an unpayable debt.

No one notices the tears streaming down Ann's face as she recalls what happened last night. The way his face darkened with sadness and when he mumbled "I'm sorry". He must've been feeling a great deal of remorse after she explained that him leaving her forever was her greatest fear since it was about to come true. He most likely could've just went straight to the station, but he held it off to spend one last night with her. While she didn't feel comfortable being with him then when he was obviously keeping a secret, she's starting to deeply regret walking out on him on the night she definitely shouldn't have.

You're telling me… to keep following the path I believe in... and live free, she thinks as she grips her leggings and shuts her eyes. Stupid…! I don't know how to do that without you…!

"I wonder what Mona-chan would say if he were here right now," Haru says.

"He'd probably laugh and tell us how foolish we all are," Yusuke assumes.

"And he would do it in that high and mighty voice of his," Makoto chuckles.

"That guy was real annoyin'," Ryuji sighs. "But now that he's gone, it feels… you know… Guess we really did count on him a lot." Futaba pushes up her glasses.

"The hope of humanity, huh?"?" Yusuke leans forward.

"I wish there was something I could do to help our leader."

"But he made it pretty clear that he doesn't want our help," Ryuji sighs. As everyone is wallowing in conflicted emotions, a slam on the table brings them back as Ann jumps from her seat, having dried her tears.

"Hey! Morgana'd be ashamed of us moping around like this!" Everyone's attention turns to her.

"Are we really supposed to just go along with that?! Just go on living our lives while a hero is rotting in prison?! Freedom should never come at the cost of someone's life! Even if they say it's okay, the fact is that it's totally not!" She hangs her head.

"Honestly, I don't know what we should do, but if we give up, we'll never save him! Didn't he save all of you?! If we aren't gonna act now, when will we?! To hell with his last order! We gotta do something!" Ann's speech suddenly reignites everyone's spirit as Ryuji jumps out of his seat.

"You're right! Now's not the time to be hangin' our heads!" Yusuke strokes his chin in thought.

"Hm… what can we do without using the Metaverse?"

"Maybe we'll be able to find something if we search around," Haru assumes.

"Let's just stay calm and think about it," Makoto says. "We've escaped death countless times before. There's no doubt we can do this." Everyone else stands up as Futaba hops off her stool.

"That's right! Let's go!" Everyone's determination lights up the room as Ryuji shouts their new ultimate goal.

"To hell with what he said! We're not gonna let him rot in there! We're gonna save our leader, no matter what it takes!"

xxx

The now confined prisoner slowly opens his eyes and finds himself in the Velvet Room. However, he is not in his old prisoner uniform and there are no chains on him. He stands up and walks out of his cell to meet with Igor and Lavenza, the former happily applauding him.

"Excellent!" he exclaims.

"But... you are confined in reality now," Lavenza grimaces, "Even after you escaped the prison within your heart... What an ironic turn of events because for the fortune of other over your own well-being..." Lavenza smiles.

"Still... it will do. You chose the correct path of your own volition. You did not compromise your own beliefs for personal gain to the very end." Akira sadly smiles and nods.

"I took up the title of Devil to free this world from "God's" Law," he says. "Just like Satanael did in the original story. It makes sense that this is my final destination. Juvie being my prison, my "Hell", for my rebellion. It sucks, but... putting others before myself is my mantra. I'm just glad my friends are safe." He looks up into the darkness above.

"I think... what Satan did back then was necessary. Mankind needs chaos and freedom in order to truly have souls. To truly live. He gave us that, and now he's helping us by tempting us with sin in order to test us. Those who can live a good life without completely giving into sin ascend to paradise while those who can't are sent to Hell as punishment... It's actually a good system." He chuckles.

"I'm not turning into a satanist or anything... I just understand him better now. Satan and Phantom Thieves? They were both necessary evils to keep the balance of Law and Chaos. That balance is what will make our new world better." Lavenza giggles at his statement.

"Well said, Trickster." Akira sees a blue ball of light, catches it in his right hand, and the light turns into an Arcana card.

"The last Arcana you have taken hold of is "The World"," Lavenza explains. "It is the willpower to stand up in this world on your own feet, unswayed by no one. That will become the basis of hope toward a future with your teammates, who share the same belief. Now that you've gained that power, you are no longer an existence that wanders alone..." Akira crushes the card in his hand to absorb it, feeling a great warmth in his heart as he pictures his friends walking into the light of their future.

"... So... you think there's any chance I'll see them again?" he asks. Lavenza chuckles.

"My duties as your guide have ended. I cannot say for sure... but I'd like to believe so..." Igor nods.

"My own duties end here as well," he says. "Trickster, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you for setting me free and allowing my to be the master of this place once more. Though our time together was incredibly short, you were truly a remarkable guest... Farewell."

With that, Igor vanishes in a veil of blue light, then Lavenza, and finally, the entire Velvet Room fades away, leaving Akira alone in the infinite darkness. All that's left is a stray blue butterfly, which flies around Akira before ascending and fading into the darkness. As he looks up and crosses his arms, willingly allowing chains to form around him, he imagines Ann cheerfully smiling at him from above.

"... I hope you're flying free... just like the beautiful butterfly you are..." Having accepted his place in this lonely dark void, trapped in a cocoon prison of chains, Akira tearfully smiles as he prays for her bright future with all of his heart.

... I believe in you... And I always will...

...

Goodbye... Annie...

xxx

About a week later, it's a minute before midnight and the new year as everyone is gathered at their old second base in Shibuya, watching the sea of people flood the streets.

"Just look at 'em party down there…" Ryuji sighs as he rubs his neck. "They don't even know. Hmph… I guess that's fine…" Ann stares at the pitch black night sky, thinking about where she would be if her boyfriend wasn't in juvie. Would they be in his hometown, partying with his parents at a New Year's festival? Would they still be in Tokyo to party with their friends before the trip? Whatever it would have been like, she would be okay with it.

"... I wish he… he could be here with us…" she mumbles. Everyone nods in agreement.

"That aside," Yusuke says. "We have our cellular phones, yes? Was there truly any need to meet." Ryuji puts a fist to the glass.

"Our next move's important. We gotta get pumped!"

"Besides, don't you think it's nice talking in person?" Haru asks. Yusuke smiles and everyone turns to see the jumbo screens countdown the five seconds until the new year. They don't cheer along with the masses in celebration as the end of countdown means the start of their true final operation.

"New Year's Eve," Makoto says. "It seems rowdier than usual, doesn't it?" Everyone turns away from the window.

"We'll need to brace ourselves," Ann says.

"I'm going to try contacting my father's associates," Haru says.

"Sounds good to me," Ryuji says. Even without their Metaverse powers, the Phantom Thieves were ready for action.

"Sounds like we're set," Makoto says. "We must succeed, no matter the cost." With that, everyone disbands for the night so they can get a fresh start tomorrow… Almost everyone.

As Ann is walking through the Underground Mall, she stops and pulls out what Sojiro gave her on Christmas.

xxx

It was after everyone besides Futaba had left.

"Oh, Ann-chan. I got something for you," Sojiro says. Ann walks over to Sojiro at the counter. When he pulls something out of a bag and sets it before her, her eyes widen to see that it's the Menehune Dolls she gave him, along with a another folded letter under it.

"I found this next to the letter he wrote for everyone," he said. "It's addressed to you." Ann slips the letter from under the dolls and opens it up to read it.

To my beloved Ann,

The real weak one in this relationship was me all along. I am weak. So weak that I didn't have the balls to tell you the truth when you had every right to know. I can't help but wonder, do you hate me now?

... Nah. I know you. Japan's biggest sweetheart would never do that. A stupid sinful asshat like me never deserved you, which is something I knew deep down this whole time, and you definitely didn't deserve to be hurt like this. Maybe this is a sign that the world, distorted or not, would never let this work. Maybe this is my punishment for trying to make it work. In that case, I think it's well deserved.

I've broken so many promises to you in one night alone, and I am so so sorry for each one of them. But out of their rubble, there's still one left: I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.

This is probably the last time you'll hear from me and we most likely won't see each other anymore. So I want you to know now; Despite everything, I'm glad we met. The time we spent together is one of my greatest treasures. I had never been happier, more alive, more free than when I was with you. You're my red panther princess, the wind beneath my black sin drenched wings, my one and only, my whole world. And no matter where I am, my heart will always belong to you.

I love you so much, Annie. And I'll never stop. Ever. So please. Do this selfish moron one last favor...

Never forget that… and take care.

Ann stares at the doll in his likeness. Usually, words like that word turn her into a sobbing mess…

xxx

But all it's doing now is stoking the inferno of her resolve. Akira fought against the full force of the world's will and won. He made the impossible possible. So what if the world doesn't want them to be together? She wants to be with him more than anything else... and as she declared when she awakened to her Persona, nothing's going to stop her now.

Ann kisses the Akira doll, puts it back in her bag, then pulls out a small petition clipboard as she marches down the corridor with her heart ring gleaming with light. She's not going to waste any time.

"... My turn!"

Target: Hit