Barely had the Phantom Thieves 'Troublemakers' defeated the Shadow Okumura, Haru's father, than the Palace started to collapse around them.
"We need to get out of here," someone cried out, a sentiment Haru could only agree with.
"One moment," Joker interrupted, stepping towards the Shadow.
It looked up at his approach.
"You need to return to your other self before the Palace collapses," he stated firmly. "I will not permit you to die with your Palace, and take your other self with you."
Haru gasped at his words.
She hadn't considered the danger of leaving her father's Shadow in his Palace as it collapsed, but now that Joker laid it out like that, the danger was all too clear.
"H-hey now, nothing like that happened with our previous targets," Panther interjected shakily. "And anyway, we need to get out of here!"
"We can't leave him behind to get killed," Haru found herself shouting.
"Then I guess there's one solution," Joker stated, before grabbing the Shadow to carry it to safety.
…
The Mona-van was somewhat cramped with the addition of the Shadow.
In all fairness, the Shadow would have had problems fitting even if there was nobody else in the van, it's size and proportions simply not matching those of a regular human properly
Not that anyone was complaining.
The way the Palace was continuing to collapse around them had a certain way of focusing the mind on such things as the potential impending death and screaming for dear life.
Even the Shadow was joining in on the noise, in no fit state to do whatever it was Shadows did when they left the Metaverse.
But, Haru considered, at least it meant her dad should be okay.
()
'Black Mask' watched the fittingly named Troublemakers drag Okumuras Shadow to safety.
The plan had been to watch them leave and take out the Shadow while it was vulnerable, so that they would have no idea about his actions.
Based on their previous interactions with Palace Rulers it should have been fine. Each time he had watched them leave while the Shadow was still present.
As their leader dragged the Shadow into the van, 'Black Mask' was forced to confront the fact that this plan wasn't going to work.
It was impossible to tell why they changed their approach, but it didn't matter.
'Black Mask' opened fire on the Shadow, only for his shots to miss harmlessly.
And then the opportunity was gone.
He would need to find another way to aid Shido in his plans, in order to get the ultimate revenge on the old man.
Of course first he needed to get out safely, so he pulled from his pocket one of the objects he had picked up in the Metaverse, known as a 'Goho-M' and disappeared.
()
How did Akechi get out safely, Joker desperately questioned himself. He left it until after we were gone to shoot Okumura and there was no sign of him having a vehicle in here, so there should be no way for him to survive the collapse! It isn't as though-
Joker slapped himself in the face.
"I've got this," he stated, grabbing a Goho-M from his pocket.
One moment they were avoiding certain death by seconds, the next they were safely at the entrance to the Palace, watching it collapse in front of them.
There was a minute or so of heavy breathing as the fear ran its course.
Then…
"Next time lead with that!"
It was, Joker considered, a fair request.
AN: If you're going to ask a question in a review, can you please ensure private messages are enabled? It is rather difficult to say "the next chapter is ready to go as soon as I get back from holiday and can publish it" otherwise.