Ace In The Hole

by eiranerys

Shido has barred the Shadow Operatives from action for two years. But when the Phantom Thieves appear, Mitsuru decides that they have to take action. Luckily, there's a certain former member Shido doesn't seem to be aware of: Ken Amada. But when Ken meets the Phantom Thieves in person, he can't help but agree with their goals. He can't help but befriend them. Phantom Thief!Ken AU.

50. 49: No Turning Back Now

Chapter 49

No Turning Back Now

---

Tuesday, December 13th, 2016

---

Things were not looking good. Goro had managed to heal his broken arm, but he still had so many injuries. But he couldn't muster the energy to cast more healing spells. So he had to leave the Metaverse. In order to recuperate.

Goro's head hurt, from both using his power on himself and the crying. He honestly had no idea how long he had spent crying. It had been almost painful, dragging himself out of the safe room so he could head back to the entrance and leave. His muscles ached terribly and he had cuts everywhere. He managed to staunch the bleeding at least.

But he needed to figure out what to do next.

It was late, later than Goro had expected. He had no idea how long he had spent in Shido's Palace. But the trains had stopped running. He could probably get a cab but… it was just a matter of where to go.

He couldn't go back to his apartment. Goro knew that for certain. The Phantom Thieves were most likely to send out the calling card as soon as possible, to prevent him from interfering. And Shido would soon realize that Goro had failed and then Goro would truly be in trouble.

So his apartment was most certainly not an option. That was the first place Shido would look for him.

Going to a hospital was similarly unwise. So was going to a hotel. He could hide out in the Metaverse after he recuperated but… he had no idea where exactly he could go.

Goro gritted his teeth, feeling completely frustrated at his situation. There wasn't a soul that he could trust to not sell him out to Shido. His allies… were tied to Shido. They'd stab him in the back without a second thought.

Except for one, maybe…

"Akechi-kun… you really need to take care of yourself better. I admire your dedication to our work, but it won't do to run yourself to the ground."

Sae-san… she was probably his last hope.

They had hardly spoken since he had assumed he killed Amamiya. She had been demoted in a way and Goro was busy with Shido sending him after his rivals.

His mind made up, he hailed a cab. He told the driver Sae-san's address. It didn't take long for them to reach the apartment and it was only when he was standing in front of the door that he realized just how foolish he had been.

Niijima might be home now. And Goro could only imagine how she'd react should she be the one to open the door. She'd probably try to deck Goro.

And for all he knew Sae-san wasn't even home. She might be sleeping in her office like she did when work was really hectic. On top of that… she didn't care—right? They were just working together because the higher ups pushed them together. There was simply no way that Sae-san would care for him like that…

But it was too late. Those thoughts had crossed his mind only after he already knocked. Goro froze. He should leave before Sae-san answered the door. She could dismiss it as just her imagination. It was late after all—

The door suddenly opened. Sae-san looked slightly disheveled, her hair messy like it always was when she was working on something, and she would drag her fingers through her hair as she concentrated. She was wrapped up in a plain light gray robe.

For a moment, they just stared at each other.

Goro wanted to make a break for it, but something left his feet planted to the ground. Goro felt paralyzed and he couldn't find his voice. He couldn't even breathe.

But then Sae-san's hand flew to her mouth, stifling her gasp. Her eyes were wide with shock.

"A-Akechi-kun?" she whispered. "W-What are you doing here? And… what happened to you?"

"I…"

Goro swallowed hard. It certainly didn't help that his head felt like someone had taken a jackhammer to it. He honestly felt a little nauseous. He had heard that this was what happened when he used his powers on someone. He really regretted using his powers on himself. It didn't even secure him victory.

"I came here because… I have nobody else to turn to, Sae-san…" Goro managed to spit out.

Goro tried not to cringe. He sounded so pathetic. He wanted to crawl into the nearest hole.

Sae-san was silent, her expression conflicted. He could see several emotions flashing in her eyes. Uncertainty, shock, and… to Goro's surprise—sadness.

But she didn't move a muscle. Goro pressed his lips together. He was exhausted and ready to pass out. He certainly wasn't going to find sanctuary here…

He sighed. "Right, I shouldn't have sprung this on you especially since it's so late. You must be exhausted too. My apologies. I won't bother you further."

He turned to go but he felt a hand land on his shoulder.

"Akechi-kun, wait."

Goro blinked twice before grimacing as a sharp pain started to split at his head. But he forced himself to look at Sae-san. She still looked confused and conflicted but there was also a determination in her eyes.

"I—"

But then Goro's vision began to blur. Sae-san spoke again but Goro couldn't comprehend what she was saying.

He fell into the blissful darkness and the last thing he was aware of was Sae-san's panicked, "Akechi-kun!"

---

Sae scrambled to catch Akechi-kun by his shoulders before he completely collapsed.

"Akechi-kun? Akechi-kun!" Sae's voice rose as she grew more panicked; she shook Akechi-kun hard, but he didn't rouse.

Sae's mind was racing. What on earth had happened? What exactly happened for him to get this kind of injuries? There were bruises on his face, not to mention all of those cuts…!

"I can't leave him here," Sae thought to herself before she bent down to pick up Akechi-kun.

He wasn't exactly as light as a feather but Sae managed to carry him to the couch without too much trouble. Sae was just thankful that none of the neighbors had heard anything and looked to investigate. She hurried to close the door as she mulled over the situation.

She couldn't let Makoto see Akechi-kun. She'd panic and if Akechi-kun had regained consciousness… things might get ugly.

She pulled out her phone, quickly messaging Makoto to stay at a friend's house tonight. She made up an excuse that she was talking with someone from work… which was technically true.

Sae pocketed her phone and leaned in close to examine Akechi-kun's visible injuries. A part of Sae wanted to tend to his injuries but Sae guessed most of them were under his clothes. She didn't want to embarrass him and waking up to that would be… mortifying.

But as she stared down at him, Sae couldn't help but feel conflicted. Akechi-kun had betrayed her before… would he do it again?

Akechi-kun had never physically hurt her but was it different now?

"I just have to pretend I know nothing about the Phantom Thieves," she told herself. "We have been partners for so long, after all."

Things would be fine… right? Sae sighed, wrapping an arm around her torso.

She hated that she didn't know. But Sae's stomach churned at the mere idea of turning out Akechi-kun.

She couldn't do it… it still cut at her soul to think about his betrayal, that he had used her in order for his own selfish desires.

But surely, their partnership meant something? Sae believed Makoto and the Phantom Thieves about what they said… but she couldn't abandon him.

Maybe she was being idealistic but she hadn't felt hope in such a long time. Ren had rekindled that in her.

And Akechi-kun had come to her for whatever reason. During their time as partners, she knew that Akechi had a distaste for showing such vulnerabilities.

He must've been truly desperate to have come. And that meant something… right?

Sae flicked her eyes back to Akechi-kun. She sighed lightly to herself. Well… she could only wait and see for now…

---

They had finally done it. They reached Shido's Treasure.

"So… this is it, huh?" Ren sighed, shaking his head. "Feels like a long time coming."

"We were supposed to pursue Shido back in September," Makoto mused.

Haru frowned, casting her eyes to the ground. "I'm sorry… if Father hadn't…"

"Don't apologize, Noir," Yusuke reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You have nothing to be sorry about."

Anne nodded, her pigtails bobbing. "Yeah! We're glad to have met you, Noir!"

"Even though Okumura was a trap… we're grateful that we could become friends with you, Noir," Ren added.

Not to mention that Shido's Palace was crawling with strong Shadows. They would've been toast if they had tried to take on Shido's Palace three months ago. In a way, Ren was grateful because they had the opportunity to grow stronger.

Ken was staring at the Treasure, his expression unreadable.

"It's almost over. I'll be relieved once everything's over," he finally said.

He sounded so tired, mentally drained. Ren couldn't help but wonder what exactly Akechi said to Ken. Maybe Futaba would know.

"Though… I am a little concerned about Akechi interfering," Ken suddenly said, heaving out a sigh.

"Are you sure you can't find him at all, Oracle?" Morgana turned to Futaba with a questioning look.

Futaba shook her head. "He's gone. I can't sense him."

"Why couldn't you sense him before?" Yusuke asked, tilting his head.

"W-Well, I wasn't looking for him!" Futaba said defensively. "I was focusing on making sure Shadow's don't sneak up on us til we got to the Treasure Room!"

"It was just a question. You don't have to get all defensive," Yusuke huffed.

"What's done is done," Ken said, interrupting the squabble. But then his expression turned pensive. "Though I do wish there was some way to know where Akechi is exactly…"

Ren could understand why Ken was worried. Akechi going to Shido about this would be disastrous.

"Is there really no way to track Akechi, Oracle?" Ren said.

"Oh!" Futaba's head shot up at that. "Okay, I might not be able to find Akechi's signal with Prometheus…"

Makoto raised a brow at that. "But?"

"But I should be able to track Akechi's phone!" Futaba said proudly. "Remember how I bugged Akechi's phone to monitor him before?"

Morgana snorted. "You were so proud of it too."

"You're one to talk 'bout pride," Ryuji teased, letting out a snicker as Morgana predictably bristled at the ribbing.

"Can you do that once we're out?" Anne interrupted before Ryuji and Morgana could start up one of their bickering fests.

Ren couldn't help but snort at how Anne resolved that.

Futaba nodded. "Well technically I can but probably not the best to do out in the open. Especially when we wanna see if Akechi is talking to Shido."

Ren nodded. "Let's head back to Leblanc then. We'll be safe there."

He led the way back to the entrance, intent on getting out as soon as possible.

But Ren couldn't help but wince to himself as he noticed that Ken was walking with a slight limp. It was most likely a result of his one-on-one fight with Akechi.

Once they made it to the entrance, Ren activated the Meta-Nav and they left the Metaverse.

A blast of cold air greeted them once they reached the real world, making Ren shiver for a moment. He tugged his blazer around himself to hopefully warm himself up.

"Damn… it's late." Ryuji's eyes widened as he looked up at the black sky. He then tucked both of his hands into his pant pockets. "Didn't think we were in there for that long."

"Akechi really derailed us," Futaba grumbled, a small pout forming on her face.

"Do you think the trains have stopped running?" Morgana asked.

Yusuke nodded, lowering his phone. "They have—it's a little past midnight. We will have to walk."

"Getting up tomorrow for school is gonna be fun," Ryuji said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Good thing Ken and I don't have to go to school tomorrow," Ren said cheekily, hoping to lighten up the mood a little.

This earned him a shove from Ryuji.

"Don't rub it in!" he griped.

Ren opened his mouth to reply but he was suddenly interrupted by Haru.

"We don't have to walk. I'm arranging a ride." Haru looked up from her phone.

Anne's eyes widened. "Oh! Thank you, Haru!"

It was very considerate of Haru. They were pretty far from the residential districts too. They huddled together close, though, since it was still cold. At one point, Anne lifted up Ren's arm before she snuggled in close. Ren gave her an amused look. She always handled the cold poorly.

"Well hey there," he said teasingly, draping an arm around her shoulder and holding her closer to him.

"It's so cold," she grumbled.

Ren grinned, poking her reddened cheek playfully. "It is winter, after all."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it…" Anne grumbled with a pout.

"I am unbothered," Yusuke announced.

Ken rolled his eyes in response.

"So says the one who completely resists ice," Ken deadpanned before slipping off his blazer, draping it over Makoto who was shivering from the cold.

"You don't seem too bothered by it either, Ken-kun," Haru pointed out.

Ryuji snorted. "Try practicing at six in the morning most days of the week and you get used enough to the cold."

Ken just nodded in agreement. Though Ren guessed wearing shorts in the winter also helped. He still had no idea why Ken wore shorts even when he was wearing a blazer and hoodie back when he was a kid.

They spent the next ten minutes huddling from the cold but then the car Haru called finally pulled up. They climbed in and Haru directed the driver to take them to Café Leblanc.

With it being the dead of night, it didn't take long for them to reach Leblanc. Haru thanked the driver before they scurried to Leblanc.

There was a collective sigh of relief when Ren unlocked the cafe and they were able to take refuge from the cold.

Ren ducked behind the counter, grabbing the cocoa powder that Anne had given him a few days ago; she claimed that he could use some variety in hot drinks, instead of just coffee. While Futaba worked her magic, Ren made everyone hot chocolate.

"Thanks, Ren," Anne said, flashing him a smile as he passed her a mug.

He seated himself by his girlfriend, taking a sip before looking over to Futaba. She was tapping furiously on her laptop, her brow wrinkled as she concentrated.

Makoto's phone suddenly buzzed—probably a text from someone.

"Who would text Makoto in the middle of the night, though…?" Ren thought to himself.

But then Makoto suddenly grew pale, her phone slipping through her fingers. She seemed… frozen.

"Makoto…?" Ken questioned, shooting her a worried expression as he reached out to touch her hand. "What's wrong?"

But before she could respond, Futaba's laptop resonated with a tinny voice.

"Are you going to tell me what happened to you? How did you get those bruises…? The one on your stomach looks so serious too…"

"It's… a long story. Sae-san, I don't mean to impose but please… I just need a place to stay for one night."

Makoto snapped to attention before her eyes widened with horror.

"Sis!"

She slammed down the mug on the table before standing up.

"Makoto, wait!" Futaba called out to her, jumping to her feet.

Makoto whipped around. "Akechi. Is. With. Sis. I don't have time! I have to save her!"

"Makoto, hear me out!" Futaba persisted. "Akechi went to your sister for help… I don't think he'll hurt her. But he might freak out and do something rash if you show up!"

"Why is she helping him? He betrayed her!" Makoto demanded angrily, even as her lower lip quivered.

"Makoto…" Ken quickly got up and reached out to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Take a deep breath, okay? I can't speak for your sister but at least we know that this isn't a revenge kind of deal."

"Panicking won't help at all, Mako-chan," Haru seconded.

"How can you be so sure, though?" Makoto blinked rapidly, as she was pushing back her tears. "If he hurts Sis, I…!"

"Makoto, it'll be okay. If Akechi wanted to hurt all of us, he'd run to Shido to blab about our plans to steal his heart," Ken persisted, his voice somehow even and calm as he gave Makoto a one-armed hug.

Makoto still looked torn, but she gave a reluctant nod.

"Um… Makoto, what was that text 'bout?" Ryuji asked. "It made ya pale as a ghost so I'm guessing it was connected to this…"

Makoto sighed before giving a nod. But she didn't speak until she and Ken sat down once again. "Yes… Sis texted me. She told me that she had a coworker at our apartment—someone who was working on the mental shutdown case—so it might be risky for me to show up now. She advised me to stay over at a friend's place."

Ren had to wonder why Sae was intent on helping Akechi though. But then again, they had spent like two years working together.

Ren grimaced to himself. If only they had figured out how to handle Akechi sooner. Ren hadn't expected Akechi to make a wild break for it.

"Though… Akechi probably has nobody barring Shido's associates. We gave him a pretty bad beating. Makoto's sister is probably his only associate that isn't in Shido's pocket if I had to guess," Morgana spoke up.

"He must be pretty desperate if he dared approach Niijima-san," Haru said, pursing her lips for a moment.

Makoto looked uncomfortable at what they were discussing, so Ren cleared his throat. It was best to change the subject. There was something nagging at Ren, anyhow.

"Though that reminds me, Ken…" Ren said. "Do you have any theories on Akechi's Wild Card ability?"

Ken crossed his arms, frowning as he thought. "When I fought him in Kaneshiro's Palace, he only used Loki."

"Good thing you had the Ring of Darkness," Anne commented, pursing her lips.

Ken nodded, fiddling with the chain where the ring dangled from. Ren didn't want to think about what would've happened if that wasn't the case. He was really glad that Mitsuru-san had insisted Ken wear it. Though he doubted Mitsuru-san had even thought about this happening…

"I think that he only had Loki and Robin Hood when he 'joined' us," Ken said, a contemplative look on his face. "I remember the look on his face when Ren used multiple Personas in Niijima-san's Palace. He looked… shell-shocked. He must've tried to recruit Personas after watching Ren do it."

That made sense… Ren couldn't help but feel unnerved, though. Akechi was really obsessed with being special, wasn't he? And did he even feel remorse about any of this?

"He was really obsessed with 'beating' RenRen," Ryuji remarked.

"He was completely consumed by it," Yusuke said, pursing his lips.

Ren just looked away. It was a little alarming to think about—that Akechi would resent him so much. Akechi resented him for throwing a wrench in his revenge ploy… fine. Ren supposed Akechi would be pissed at that, though Ren wasn't sorry for going after Shido, to have him confess his crimes. But Akechi had a chip on his shoulder with his obsession for being 'special'.

Morgana suddenly hopped onto the table, making it shake slightly. When Ren looked at Morgana, the feline looked up at him.

"Ren, we should really send out the calling card as soon as possible," he said seriously.

Ren nodded. "Yeah… I was thinking either tomorrow… or the fifteenth, but tomorrow maybe better. We don't know what Akechi's next move is, the sooner the better."

With the tense situation, he would've done tomorrow usually. But… he was nervous. They were all exhausted. Ren would be setting them up for failure if he decided to send in the calling card tomorrow. No… everyone had to be well rested for this fight. He had a feeling that Shido would be as tough as Akechi, if not a more fearsome foe.

"Ren, I know you're worried about Akechi, but we also need everyone's health to be in tip top shape too. We need every advantage we can get, Shido will be our toughest yet," Morgana explained.

Ren nodded in agreement. But he couldn't delay things too much. And with Akechi out in the real world, Ren couldn't help but be worried. So, he looked to Futaba.

"Futaba, I want you to monitor Akechi as much as possible. Just in case," he instructed.

Futaba nodded before flashing Ren a thumbs up. "You've got it, Ren!"

"Are we done for the night then?" Ryuji asked.

Ken sighed, rubbing at his face, before muttering out, "This night has been exhausting."

Ren could only wince in sympathy. Ken did have to fight Akechi longer than anyone else in this room.

"It's best that we wrap up for the night, then," Ren said. "Just… be ready, guys. We'll be facing Shido soon."

His friends just gave a solemn nod.

Haru called for a ride and Ren waved them off. Once the car was out of sight, Ren shut the door with a heavy sigh.

Morgana looked at Ren from his perch. "Ren… is there something bothering you?"

"Oh, you know… the usual," Ren said lightly.

"Ren…" Morgana growled out, his voice becoming agitated.

Ren sighed, holding up his hands.

"I'm just… annoyed about Akechi, I guess. The way he refused to listen to reason and if we had lost to him…" Ren trailed off at the last part.

Morgana gave a sigh.

"But we didn't, Ren. We beat him!"

"I had to drop a pipe on him so we could beat him," Ren said before plopping into the nearest seat.

Ren rubbed his temples. They weren't safe. Not until Shido's Treasure was in their hands. And Ren… couldn't help but be afraid that all their hard work would be for nothing.

"Don't worry about it, Ren," Morgana said, his voice becoming unusually gentle. "It's been a long night. You deserve the rest, okay?"

Ren said wearily, "It's not over though. We still have to deal with Shido."

A part of Ren couldn't help but wonder if they were over in their heads. What if he couldn't lead them to victory? Shido's Palace had shown him that Shido was a cunning bastard. What if they were overwhelmed by Shido? Everyone was counting on them…

"And we'll deal with him the same way we've always dealt with problems," Morgana said firmly. "Together."

Ren sighed. He knew that already technically but he guessed he needed a reminder from time to time.

He meant what he said to Akechi. He knew his worth now. He was a Wild Card, yes. But his friends were his true strength, not the multiple Personas he wielded. They had his back, no matter what.

They gave him another reason to fight. And they made him want to ensure Shido fell, so he wouldn't be able to threaten any of their futures.

"Thanks Morgana… I guess I just needed a reminder."

Morgana cracked a smile. "Any time, Ren. But now—bedtime! It's been a long night and you need your rest!"

Ren just smirked down at Morgana. "Okay Mom-na."

"REN!"

---

Something cool was touching Goro's forehead. Then he felt a gentle hand smoothing away his bangs, like Goro's mother would always do when he was sick as a child.

"Mom?" he croaked out.

Then he heard a familiar chuckle. "No… it's just me, Akechi-kun."

Goro blinked his eyes open, and Sae-san came into view. She just gave him a relieved smile.

"Thank goodness you're awake," she sighed.

Goro struggled to sit up—he realized after a moment that Sae-san had put him on the couch in her living room. But then a sudden splitting headache made him clutch at his head with both hands.

"Akechi-kun! Take it easy!" Sae-san quickly admonished but then her expression softened. "Just try to relax, Akechi-kun. I'll get something for you to drink, and perhaps a painkiller as well..."

She then pushed herself to stand—she had been kneeling until now—and headed for the kitchen.

Goro sighed before staring up at the ceiling. All was well for now… but what would he do afterwards?

He just felt… hollow. Everything he's worked towards was gone. Goro couldn't beat the Phantom Thieves at his full strength. There was just no way that he could defeat them at his current state.

It was a bitter pill to swallow but he'd have to remain in the shadows until the Phantom Thieves defeated Shido. He would have to hide out in Mementos until then, to ensure that Shido wouldn't know about his whereabouts.

"Akechi-kun?"

Goro looked up to see Sae-san approach, with a mug in hand, two white pills in the other. She set the mug and the pills on the nearby coffee table.

"Can you sit up?" she asked.

She helped him sit up before picking up the mug. Goro placed the two pills in his mouth and took a sip—it was some kind of juice.

"I'm a little worried that you haven't any sugar in you lately," Sae-san said nervously. "Thought it'd help."

Goro just gave a little nod before taking another sip. "Thank you, Sae-san."

It was quiet between them for several moments as Goro drank more of the juice. Contrary to public opinion, Goro wasn't much of a fan of sweet foods and drinks. But the juice was helping. Maybe Sae-san was right—he was lacking sugar.

Sae-san fidgeted with the cuff of her top as she eyed him carefully. She must've gotten dressed while Goro was unconscious.

"Are you… going to tell me what exactly happened?" she asked tentatively. "With all of your bruises…"

"Oh, I suppose it was some brutes jealous of me," Goro said lightly before taking another sip. "They snuck up on me when I least expected it."

Sae-san's expression turned scrutinizing. That look on her face was all too familiar. It was her face when she interrogated some foolish criminal who had the audacity to lie to her. But then it disappeared, and she lowered her gaze to the ground.

"I see," she said quietly. "I'm glad that you managed to get away at least."

She could see through him. He was exhausted but he didn't let his mask slip. He must be off if she realized he was lying. He wasn't sure how though. Celebrities getting mugged isn't exactly uncommon, and he's been harassed before once or twice, though nothing he couldn't handle with a simple call for security to drag them away.

Goro licked his lips. "Well you know me. I'm more resourceful than I look."

"Do you mind if I take a look?" Sae-san asked tentatively.

Goro took another sip, taking the opportunity to consider what she was asking. Sae-san was asking to take a look, when she might end up asking questions again from where Goro got his injuries. But on the other hand, he needed to get his injuries treated.

He raised his eyes to look at Sae-san before giving a tiny nod.

Sae-san helped him unbutton his jacket, carefully folding it before setting it aside. Goro fumbled with his tie while she did that, but his trembling fingers were clumsy. Sae-san ended up having to help him with that too. Goro was both grateful and slightly… irritated that he had ended up in this state. He hated feeling so weak.

Sae-san then helped him slip his dress shirt off before a gasp fell from her lips. Sae-san swallowed hard.

"Akechi-kun… you shouldn't make it out as nothing," she croaked out.

Then she pressed her lips together before reaching for the first aid kit sitting on the glass coffee table. Goro gritted his teeth as Sae-san dabbed rubbing alcohol to cleanse his injuries. It stung quite fiercely, even though Sae-san's administrations were gentle.

"Does it hurt?" she asked cautiously.

"Nothing I can't handle," Goro rasped out, trying not to wince.

Thankfully Sae-san finished dabbing at his injuries. Then she reached for the bandages. Her expression was unreadable as she snapped off a piece.

She wound the bandage around Goro's left arm before speaking once more. "Are you going to actually tell me what happened to you? How did you get those bruises? The one on your stomach looks so serious too…"

"It's… a long story."

Goro then pursed his lips, steeling himself for what he was going to say.

"Sae-san, I don't mean to impose but please… I just need a place to stay for one night."

Sae-san slowly exhaled at that. "Very well. Though… you've been avoiding my question, Akechi-kun. I think you owe me that much."

Goro forced out a chuckle. "Did I not tell you already? I was just jumped by jealous brutes. There's nothing to worry about, Sae-san."

He really wished she wouldn't push, but he suppose it was in her nature as a lawyer to keep poking around til she has the truth. He isn't sure where he slipped up, she definitely knows he's lying. He was confident he made no errors in his tone or expressions, the lie is vague enough but still credible.

Why didn't she buy it?

He's never had trouble with hiding the truth before, why now is she picking up on it all of a sudden?

Sae-san pressed her lips together in response. "I'm just concerned. I've seen… similar bruises on someone else."

Someone else? Granted Goro didn't have a full view of his injuries but the closest he could think of was… Amamiya. But that made jealousy flare inside of Goro, to think that Sae-san would be concerned with Amamiya like that...

Did Sae-san care about Amamiya?

Goro inhaled, trying to calm himself down. He didn't even have any proof that Sae-san knew about Amamiya's survival.

And… why did that thought bother him so much? Goro quickly pushed it out of his head.

He pointed out, "Well, it's unfortunate but it's not like we're unfamiliar with gangs."

"I suppose… you're right," Sae-san pursed her lips before she gave him a hesitant smile. "I'm glad that you're okay, Akechi-kun. You gave me quite a fright, especially after you fainted."

Goro smiled faintly. "I imagine so. I do apologize for worrying you."

He then glanced towards the hallway. Was Niijima even home? He found it hard to believe that she would've slept through all of this. She didn't strike him as a heavy sleeper.

He tried to keep his voice casual as he mentioned, "I'm surprised Niijima-san hasn't been woken up by all this commotion."

Sae-san pressed her lips together and something flashed in her eyes. But then the look in her eye disappeared before she folded her arms over her chest.

"Makoto isn't home. She was studying for the upcoming exams with some friends. Apparently, it's happened a few times before when I was out working."

Goro couldn't help but detect a tremor in her voice as she spoke. It was very slight, but Goro couldn't help but notice it. This struck Goro as strange.

Perhaps Niijima was too tired from the fight to come home. Though Goro really had no idea what time it was… it was late by the time Goro had left, though, so Goro couldn't help but think that there was a very slim chance that Niijima would return home while he was there.

That was a relief. He didn't want to see Niijima right now. He was pretty certain that she enjoyed punching him especially after their exchange back in June.

Sae-san then cleared her throat. "Though… I imagine your current attire isn't too comfortable to sleep in. You're close to my father's height. I have some of his old things, so I'll get you that."

Goro couldn't help but feel disconcerted, watching Sae-san's retreating back. When was the last time Sae-san had spoken of her father in that way? Sae-san always hated hearing of her father. Goro always found it bizarre that she would grow stiff when a colleague of her father recognized Sae-san. Goro hadn't understood completely until they had confronted her Shadow.

So… what had changed?

Her heart couldn't have changed… right? Amamiya claimed that they hadn't stolen her Treasure because they needed her Palace to enact their plan. But still Goro was curious…

Goro struggled to get out his phone from his jacket pocket, activating the app. He had to act fast—Sae-san would be back soon.

"Sae Niijima," he whispered.

The app immediately responded—there was no target? How was that possible?

Unless… Amamiya managed to change her heart while he was in interrogation with her? Goro gritted his teeth. He was there with Sae-san for an hour or two, tops! How did he win her trust so easily?!

And now Sae-san probably thought of him fondly… yet another thing that he had stolen from Goro. He couldn't help but think of Amamiya teasing Ken, but Ken just seemed to take it in stride. They were close—of course Amamiya was chummy with everyone on his team, but Ken was far more reserved. He had to say that Ken was closest to Niijima, Amamiya, and… Sakura.

He was so angry about what Goro had done to Sakura…

But none of that mattered… not anymore. What would he even do with himself now…?

Sae-san then returned, carrying a pile of neatly folded clothes, along with a blanket. She then handed him the clothes and the blanket.

"Um… so, I'll be in the kitchen, feel free to get changed. If you need any assistance, let me know," Sae-san said awkwardly as she took the empty cup from him.

Goro scrunched his nose but tried not to show too much displeasure. She meant well despite how uncomfortable that suggestion made her. But he already was pushing it with his tolerance of how much vulnerability he was showing tonight. He absolutely would not have her assist him dress like he was a helpless toddler.

He playfully said instead, "I'm not totally useless Sae-san."

"Right, of course… I'm sorry that we don't have a guest room but you're free to sleep on the couch," Sae-san said nervously before she let out a little laugh. "That blanket however has kept me comfortable any time I have all-nighters at the office."

Goro smiled faintly. "Many thanks, Sae-san."

And… he meant it. Sae-san could've slammed the door on him. She could've left him out in the cold. But… she hadn't. Goro was a little confused on why, but he was very grateful.

Sae-san tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Any—" She suddenly stopped, pursing his lips. "It's no problem, Akechi-kun. I hope you sleep well."

Somehow he doubted it but... he appreciated the sentiment.

---

Shinjiro rubbed his eyes for what felt like the millionth time that night. He was starting to get worried… It was 1:30 in the morning. What was keeping Ken?

He barely registered the cooking show that he had playing on his phone. It was really just a way for him to stay awake and not pass out on the couch.

Shinjiro sighed before rubbing at his eyes one more time. But then again, Ken did say that Shido's Palace was huge. Maybe he was just being paranoid. He was sure nothing went wrong.

That was when he suddenly heard the doorknob turn. That got his attention in a flash.

The door slowly swung open to reveal Ken and Makoto, who both looked beat—physically and mentally. Though Ken looked more tired than Makoto.

Ken froze when he saw Shinjiro.

"Shinjiro-san… why are you still up?"

Shinjiro scowled at his charge. "Maybe because a certain someone didn't even bother to text. You were gone for the entire afternoon and night. What the fuck was I supposed to think?"

Ken just pursed his lips together before mumbling out an apology.

"Did something happen?"

"You could… say that," Ken said awkwardly, suddenly averting his eyes.

Shinjiro just crossed his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow at Ken. This just made Ken even more nervous as he started to fidget.

"Ah… Shinjiro-san, try not to freak out," Makoto said after a moment of hesitation. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear before nervously looking up at Shinjiro. "But um… Akechi figured us out and ambushed us."

"He what?!" Shinjiro spat out before he balled his hands into fists. "Did he try to kill Amamiya again?"

"There was that," Ken said in a stilted voice.

Shinjiro narrowed his eyes. "Why do I hear a but in that?"

Ken's expression grew… conflicted.

"Akechi separated Ken from everyone else and probably would've killed him if he had the opportunity," Makoto spoke up.

"That little…" Shinjiro seethed to himself, his hand balling into a fist.

But he forced himself to look at Ken. His priority should be Ken.

"Are you okay? Any serious injuries?" he asked.

Ken shook his head but he wouldn't meet Shinjiro's gaze. "Nothing too bad, aside from my leg."

Shinjiro didn't like this. Ken was being awfully tightlipped about Akechi. And he was already being super reluctant to talk about it, despite what they talked about the night Ken had his nightmare. Did something happen, something that Ken wasn't willing to talk about? Hell, Makoto was doing most of the talking.

Makoto looked anxiously between the two of them, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"You know, I want to take a look at your injuries, Ken," she said quickly. "I know you said it's not too bad but I'm still worried about your leg."

"Makoto—" Ken sighed out but she cut him off with a glare. He gave a small grumble before muttering out, "It's really not that big of a deal."

"It is to me," Makoto said, all but pushing Ken towards his bedroom.

"Okay, you don't have to push me," Ken grumbled out.

So Makoto let him go and he headed into his bedroom. Shinjiro sucked in a breath when he saw that Ken was favoring his right leg. Shinjiro sighed to himself.

"Well, it's not like we didn't have nights with us sporting serious injuries," Shinjiro thought grimly to himself.

A sudden movement caught Shinjiro's eye. Makoto was heading for the bathroom, so he followed her there. Maybe he'd be able to get more info outta her. Makoto was pulling out the first aid kit when Shinjiro finally spoke.

"Okay, Makoto, what the fuck's going on?" Shinjiro demanded.

Makoto bit her lip, chewing on it for a moment. "I'll try to convince Ken to talk to you. It's not my place to talk about it."

Not her place—what the hell was she talking about?

Shinjiro narrowed his eyes at her. "What the fuck did Akechi do to him?"

Makoto bit her lip. "Akechi figured out that we were infiltrating Shido's Palace. And he found us when we secured the fifth letter. Something was bothering Futaba and Ken was talking to her about it when Akechi showed up. We were just about to get back when we were attacked by these Shadows who went… berserk."

Shinjiro groaned, rubbing his temples.

"Of fucking course…" he mentally grumbled.

"Akechi and Ken were getting into an argument when we got back and Akechi kinda… lost it when he saw Ren was alive," Makoto said with a wince. "He tried to attack Ren but Ken got in the way."

Shinjiro just rubbed his temples at that. Of course that's what happened. Ken was really going to give him gray hairs before he turned thirty.

Makoto pursed her lips for a moment before speaking again. "But anyways, that set off Akechi and he triggered this emergency button that brought up a wall separating us from Ken and Akechi. I don't know all the details but… I can guess, given how Ken reacted to Akechi in the past before..."

Shinjiro could only sigh. He imagined how Ken was feeling. Ken was… indifferent to his dad so it was easier to cut out that side of the family. Not to mention that his uncle's emotional neglect had helped fuck up Ken when he was still grieving for his mom. He still remembered Minako reacting to finding out the extent of his treatment of Ken.

But Akechi… was a link to his mom. Shinjiro suspected that's why Ken took the truth about Akechi harder.

Makoto sighed before folding her arms over her chest. "That's why I wanted to try and talk to Ken in private. I can't promise you anything but I will try to get Ken to talk to you about this. There's something that's really bothering him… and I don't want him to feel guilty over something that's not his fault."

Shinjiro sighed. "Okay. Thanks Makoto."

Makoto nodded before slipping into Ken's bedroom.

Shinjiro just rubbed at his eyes, as a wave of exhaustion hit him. Just what had happened tonight? He really hoped that he'd find out sooner than later…

---

Makoto was unsure how she was going to convince Ken to talk to Shinjiro-san but she was going to try.

Ken's injuries were actually not as bad as she feared. There were some cuts and bruises, of course. Though there was one bruise she didn't expect.

"How did you get a bruise on your forehead?" Makoto couldn't help but ask, once Ken had pulled on his turtleneck.

Ken touched the bruise gingerly before flashing her a sheepish smile. "I, um, headbutted Akechi at one point."

Makoto couldn't help but chuckle at the mental image. She was a little sorry that she had missed that.

"Well, I can kiss this one better at least," Makoto said, bending down to kiss Ken's forehead lightly for a moment.

Ken's lips curled into a small smile but then his expression quickly grew serious.

"Makoto… I know what you want to say," Ken said quietly.

Makoto stiffened at that. Had he really figured her out that easily?

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Ken huffed out a laugh. "Makoto, come on. I'm not dumb. And… I could hear you talking to Shinjiro-san."

Makoto bit her lip. She didn't want to pressure Ken into anything but she was concerned… Makoto's expression must've been worried because Ken suddenly reached out, tugging her down to sit next to him on his bed.

"Makoto… I'm not mad," he said gently. "I know I've been a little… out of sorts since Akechi ran away."

"What's wrong, Ken?" Makoto pressed.

Ken just heaved out a sigh, his expression growing… conflicted. But he remained silent, even as his lips twisted into a grimace.

Makoto reached out, taking one of Ken's hands in both of hers. Ken's fingers curled underneath her hands. She felt a little guilty, making Haru wait for her to get back, but she couldn't leave Ken like this.

Makoto pleaded. "Ken… talk to me. What's really bothering you?"

Ken slowly exhaled through his nose, before his gaze lowered to the ground. He stared down at the floor for several moments. But then he lifted his head, his eyes meeting hers.

"It was probably foolish to do so but… I tried to get Akechi to see reason. I wanted him to understand that he was following a bad path."

"But he refused to listen," Makoto stated.

Ken just nodded before one hand suddenly clenched into a fist. "He was jealous of the twins. He wished them ill solely because Yukari-san was better off than his mother was in the past. He called them spoiled brats. He doesn't know them. How dare he judge them just because Yukari-san is a celebrity!"

Ken's shoulders tensed up as his voice grew more heated. Makoto couldn't help but wince in response.

It was to be expected, unfortunately. She could still recall the way that Ken's voice had a warning edge to it when they had learned that Yukari-san was a single mother of bastard children. Ken had probably witnessed Yukari-san being treated poorly more than once because of that in the past.

Ken's expression grew sad before he let out a sigh.

"I don't even know what I was thinking. He was committed to his path. I tried to talk him out of it before…"

Makoto gave his hand a squeeze. "You were trying to help him, Ken."

Then she released his hand, pursing her lips as she looked up at him.

"Is it bothering you so much because you were pulled off a bad path?"

Ken's expression grew neutral but then he gave a small nod. Makoto could only sigh softly at that. She had an inkling that was why… because she knew that Ken was still hard on himself about what happened on October fourth.

"You and Akechi aren't the same, Ken. You made different choices than him, and that made all the difference," Makoto said gently. "You let go of your past so you could forge your own future. Akechi is just clinging to the past because he can't let go of his hurt and is hurting others now."

Ken's lips pressed together for a moment before he let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair.

"Is it bad that I wish I could've talked him out of it? I can't forgive him from all he's done but…" he trailed off at the last part.

Makoto just chuckled. "No, Ken. You're just kinder than you give yourself credit for."

She then took a deep breath before reaching out to touch his cheek.

"Promise me that you'll talk to Shinjiro-san about this, Ken," she said quietly. "He's worried about you. I know that you just want to avoid him getting upset over this but you can't hide this from him."

She was… probably going to have to tell Sae about this at some point as well. She wasn't looking forward to it, especially given Sae's inner conflict about Akechi.

Ken looked torn at this, his lower lip trembling ever so slightly.

"I can't…" he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Ken…" Makoto sighed, dropping her hand.

But Ken just shook his head, his eyes growing glassy.

"There's more to this, Makoto. Akechi blames Shinjiro-san for what happened to his mother. How can I tell him that the accident led to another mother dying, leaving her son orphaned?"

Makoto sighed, studying her boyfriend's face. Her heart gave a painful squeeze at how torn he looked.

"Akechi wouldn't listen… he refused to understand what really happened that night." Ken bit his lip. "I'll tell him more about what happened tonight but I can't… I can't tell him about this, Makoto. The guilt tore him apart last time. It nearly killed him. I can't tell him about this."

"Ken… I don't think that Shinjiro-san will take it as badly as you think he will," she said slowly.

She knew that she had to speak carefully. Ken was… sensitive about this, to put it lightly. She may not know Shinjiro-san nearly as well as Ken but Shinjiro-san has had years to heal from his guilt.

Ken still looked conflicted, so Makoto opened her mouth to speak further. But then Makoto's phone suddenly buzzed from a text.

Text From: Haru

[Haru]: Is everything okay, Mako-chan?

Makoto winced in response. Haru was being so nice about this. Maybe… it wasn't best to press Ken when he was obviously exhausted physically and emotionally.

"That was Haru," she said, slipping her phone into her schoolbag. "I shouldn't probably keep her waiting so long."

Ken nodded but then he frowned. "Sorry about keeping you."

Makoto just shook her head before reaching out to hug him. "Don't be silly. Anything for you, Ken."

Ken slipped his arms around her, giving her a squeeze. Then she reached up, cupping his cheek.

"But promise me that you'll think about what I said, okay?" she said. "If your roles were swapped… wouldn't you want Shinjiro-san to tell you the truth, Ken?"

Ken sighed, the puff of air ruffling his bangs. "I hate that you're right."

Makoto laughed before saying teasingly, "Don't you know I'm usually right?"

Ken rolled his eyes at her but he pulled her in for a brief but sweet kiss. Makoto closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the kiss.

"And try not to fret too much over your sister," he whispered. "She'll be okay."

Makoto gave him a smile. "I'll try not to."

Ken gave her hand one last squeeze before Makoto reluctantly pulled away from him. A part of her wished she could stay with him but it wasn't exactly proper. It was… different the night they rescued Ken.

Ken walked her to the elevator and Makoto gave him one last wave before the elevator doors closed. She then took the opportunity to text Haru as the elevator made its descent. Haru quickly responded, assuring Makoto that it'd be okay.

"Finally…" the driver grumbled out as Makoto climbed inside.

"Sorry about the wait," Makoto apologized with a wince.

"It's okay, Mako-chan, don't worry about it," Haru said with her usual sweet smile. But then she leaned in to whisper, "Don't worry, I'll give the driver a nice big tip to make up for the wait."

"Let me pay for it," Makoto whispered as the driver started up the car engine.

"No, it's fine, Mako-chan. I can afford it!"

"That's not what I mean!" Makoto argued.

They continued to bicker over this the entire car ride but they finally compromised with them splitting the tip 50-50.

After paying the driver, they climbed out of the car and entered the house.

"Lady Haru, oh thank goodness!" a maid greeted them; she looked rather exhausted but relieved to see Haru.

"My apologies, Keiko," Haru said with an apologetic smile. "We were having a studying session at one of our friend's houses and we all fell asleep. I'm sorry about not contacting you sooner..."

Keiko-san blinked at that but she gave a small nod.

"Of course, my lady." Then she looked at Makoto. "But ah, this must be your friend. Shall I fetch her some nightclothes…?"

The last part was spoken with a little uncertainty. It was probably because of the difference in their height and builds. Makoto was nearly half a head taller than Haru after all.

Haru pressed her lips together.

"I'll find something. Don't worry about it, Keiko. Is the guest bedroom prepared for Mako-chan?"

"Yes, Lady Haru," confirmed the maid.

Haru smiled. "Wonderful! You may retire for the night then, Keiko. Thank you for staying up for this."

"As you wish, Lady Haru," Keiko-san said politely before dipping into a small curtsy.

Haru led Makoto into her room before she began to rummage through her clothes. While she was occupied with that, Makoto took the opportunity to look at Haru's room. It was a spacious room, with a painting hanging right above her bed. There were small touches of nature in the bedroom as well, with the houseplant and potted flowers.

"Ah here we go!" Haru said, holding up a white nightgown with bows on the bodice and gauzy long sleeves. "It'll be a bit shorter on you but it's supposed to be loose on your frame. So I think it'll fit you nicely."

Makoto smiled before accepting the nightgown. "Thanks, Haru."

She then went into the bathroom to change, leaving Haru to select her own nightwear. The nightgown felt nice on her skin though Makoto had to admit that she felt rather out of place in it. It wasn't what she usually wore to bed.

Normally she would shower in the evening as she disliked getting into bed while she was dirty but Makoto was far too tired to do that.

She jumped as she heard a sudden knocking on the door.

"Mako-chan, there's toothbrushes below the sink!" Haru said, her voice muffled by the door.

"Thanks, Haru!" she called back.

She rummaged through the cupboard underneath the sink, pulling out a toothbrush. She quickly brushed her teeth, so she wouldn't keep Haru waiting.

She exited the bathroom. Haru was lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Haru?" she asked.

"Oh, Mako-chan." Haru pushed herself up in a sitting position, a small smile on her face. "You look lovely in the nightgown."

"Thank you." Makoto tilted her head. "Though… is something bothering you?"

"Not really bothering me but…" Haru cut herself off with a sigh before a dark look appeared on her face. "I was just thinking. About… Father."

Makoto shifted awkwardly as a heavy frown formed on her face.

"I do think that Akechi feels a little guilty about your father," Makoto said tentatively.

Makoto had noticed that Akechi seemed almost reluctant to talk about Okumura in front of Haru in the past. Of course, that didn't absolve him from his crimes. Though she wished that Akechi would actually accept his guilt. He was just… running away. Makoto had done so in the past so she knew from experience that it accomplished nothing. Not that their situations were comparable, but if anything he has more of a reason to own up to what he did.

"Not enough to stop his plan," Haru sighed, brushing a curl out of her face. "I honestly… wanted to ask the same of Father. If he reached his goal, becoming a politician… what would he do with himself once he's on the top? It can't be worth it."

Haru's hands clenched into her lap, clutching at the hem of her skirt.

"There was so much I wanted to ask Father. But… I'll never get the chance." Despite her somber words, a determined look began to burn in Haru's eyes.

Makoto remarked, "I just hope we can track down Akechi after we defeat Shido. We can't allow him to just roam free like that."

Haru let out a small hum. "Maybe once Shido is behind bars, Mitsuru-san will be free to use her full arsenal to aid us. I think she has some choice words to say to Akechi as well."

Makoto couldn't help but chuckle, imagining Mitsuru-san dressing down Akechi.

"Akechi will have to answer to his crimes," Haru suddenly said, her expression grim. "All of those lives snuffed out for the sake of revenge… it's just unforgivable. It's not just about Father, though I'm sure Akechi thinks that's my only reasoning."

Makoto could only nod in agreement. She had never really thought about the cycle of revenge, not until Ken spoke about it when he was coming clean to all of them. Then it started coming up again when Akechi revealed the complete truth to Ken.

"We'll make sure of it," Makoto promised. Then she pursed her lips together, hesitating for a moment before speaking again. "I also understand what you mean though, Haru…"

Haru tilted her head. "Mako-chan?"

Makoto sighed, looking down at her lap. "Do you remember when I mentioned to Sis's Shadow that Kaneshiro had something to do with my father's death?"

Haru just nodded. Makoto closed her eyes for a moment to compose herself. It still hurt. Knowing that her father's death happened all because of one man's greed…

"Taking down Kaneshiro was never just about avenging Dad. But just knowing that he orchestrated Dad's death… made me much more determined to take him down, so he wouldn't hurt more people. I couldn't allow him to destroy more young people's lives and possibly kill off mothers and fathers in order to silence them..."

Makoto sighed. That's what bothered her the most about Akechi going to Sae… Akechi was willing to backstab and kill, in order to get Shido's trust. Was her sister any different to him? He used her for Shido's trap, just to take Ren and Ken. She wanted to believe her sister would be alright, but she couldn't help the fear that kept festering in her heart.

It just frightened her. She had lost her mother at a young age so she barely had any memories of her. She had lost her father. She couldn't lose Sae too.

Haru just smiled softly before resting a hand over Makoto's.

"Thank you, Mako-chan," Haru said before giving her a sincere smile. "I really appreciate you telling me about this. I had no idea you felt this way about Kaneshiro."

Makoto nodded, wrapping her free arm around herself. "It's not easy to talk about. But you talking about Akechi reminded me of how I feel about Kaneshiro."

She hadn't even told Ken about this and she told him practically everything. But with Haru… it just felt right to tell her this.

Haru just nodded. "Yes, I understand that. But… it's not over yet."

Haru's face suddenly hardened and she drew her hand away from Makoto's. She rested her trembling hands on her lap before suddenly clenching them into fists. Makoto bit her lip in response. Haru was normally so gentle but tonight just reminded her that there was still steel underneath.

"Shido…" Makoto said quietly.

Haru nodded. "I will make sure that he can't hurt anyone. Never again."

"We'll do it… together," Makoto promised her, placing a hand over Haru's.

"I really appreciate it, Mako-chan." Haru then stifled a yawn with one hand. "But… we should really retire for the night. We do have school tomorrow."

"Tomorrow will be fun," Makoto said wearily.

She was no stranger to functioning with just a few hours of sleep but she didn't like doing it.

Haru giggled softly. "I'll make us some coffee tomorrow. That should help."

Makoto laughed in response. "I look forward to it."

Then she rose to her feet, stifling a yawn of her own. Today really was exhausting… she could only imagine what it'd be like after they defeated Shido.

"Good night, Mako-chan," Haru said with a warm smile.

Makoto gave her friend a smile of her own. "Good night, Haru. Sleep well."

---

Wednesday, December 14th, 2016

---

Once Goro closed his eyes, he was proven right. He was bombarded with images of him killing Isshiki's Shadow and then Okumura's, only to be replaced by their mourning daughters. Then his mother, weeping bitterly as she lamented Goro's current state. Ken's words about revenge kept swirling in his mind.

What was right? What was wrong?

Goro thought that he knew but… wasn't sure. He just felt hollow. He was just… confused on what he should even do with himself. Was this going to be his life from now? Licking his wounds, hiding from the public?

Goro woke up with a sudden start. He was still in Sae-san's apartment. He reached for his phone. As he sat up, he realized that the pain had dulled to a faint ache.

It was a little past six. He didn't feel all that rested mentally but he had to get going. Shido might start looking for him… and he couldn't afford that. The Phantom Thieves would send out the calling card and Shido will have realized that Goro had failed.

It was a bitter pill to swallow… but he had failed. Several times.

What mattered now was his survival. He was determined to not go down. He refused to let Shido drag him down; the man always honed in on failures and never successes. It didn't matter that Goro was the reason that Shido was so powerful now.

A plan was slowly piecing together in his mind.

He needed to go back into the Metaverse—he would go into hiding until Shido was taken out of the picture. He still felt pretty weak… there was just simply no way that he could challenge the Phantom Thieves like this.

He had to leave soon before Sae-san woke up, though. He already forced her to put up with him for one night, tending to him like a nurse. She shouldn't have to deal with him any longer than what was necessary.

But something gnawed at Goro. Maybe… it wouldn't hurt to leave her one last note.

He got up, changing into his clothes. Then he searched for a pen and paper, jotting a quick note to Sae-san.

Thank you for last night. Don't look for me. Goodbye.

As he stared down at the note, Goro's insides squirmed. Should he at least stay to tell her in person instead of leaving a note like a coward?

"No… it's for the best," Goro told himself. "I don't want to deal with her getting emotional and possibly telling me to stay to take care of my injuries further…"

"Because you might stay then?" a snide voice in his head asked.

Goro gritted his teeth. Their relationship was just a partnership… nothing more. They were useful to each other. That's all…

He forced himself to leave the note on the dining table before pulling out his phone.

He could hide out in one of Shido's associates' Palaces. That would be ideal. In fact he could jump around between them, never staying in one place for too long. At least until after the hype of the election and then the storm of the media frenzy the Phantom Thieves will bring once they change Shido's heart.

Shido could never get to the Metaverse and none of his toadies either. The Phantom Thieves and the Shadow Operatives wouldn't know where to find him and even if they did, they'd have to scramble around to find all the names and keywords. Yes, alternate between palaces to hide in a few days at a time, only sneak out for food and water in the dead of night.

He could easily do it. He created a bank account under a false name... just in case. He never thought he'd have to resort to that contingency, but his hands were tied.

"Yes and once the news moves on to the next thing, I'll take a plane and get out of this damn country. I could go to Hawaii, or Hong Kong. Maybe even South Korea, or perhaps somewhere in Europe… no matter, I'll ponder more on where later," he thought to himself.

He activated the app with a destination already in mind. The TV President's Palace would be a nice place to hide out right now.

"Kaname Miyazawa, TV Station, Colosseum…" Goro said into the app.

"Beginning navigation."

---

It was nearly noon by the time Ken finally woke up. When he moved to stretch, he winced as his muscles protested at the sudden movement. He would probably have to try and heal himself later.

A soft whine caught his attention and he looked to see Koromaru staring at him. Ken let out a little sigh.

"I'm okay, Koromaru… just tired from all the fighting."

A small yip escaped Koromaru before he crawled closer to Ken, resting his head in Ken's lap. Ken just gave a sigh before stroking the top of the shiba inu's head. He was still exhausted but he knew that he had to get up. He nudged at Koromaru before climbing out of bed.

He felt a little better once he finished his usual morning ritual but his stomach did a big flip as he stepped out into the living room and saw Shinjiro-san cooking in the kitchen.

"Um… good morning," Ken said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's past noon," Shinjiro-san said dryly.

He reached for two bowls, ladling out the stew he was cooking. He then looked to Ken as he picked up one of the bowls. He pressed it into Ken's hands.

"But you need to eat. You haven't eaten for nearly an entire day, I'm guessing."

Ken just pressed his lips together but he went to put the bowl of stew at the table. Shinjiro-san was right… he had been too tired last night to eat. After Makoto left, he had almost immediately passed out.

The toaster then let out a ding, snapping Ken out of his thoughts. As always Shinjiro-san had toasted some bread to dip into the stew. Ken walked over to the cupboard, grabbing a large dinner plate to load the sliced French baguettes on top.

Shinjiro-san poured them tea and they sat down together. Ken lifted his spoon to his lips, taking a sip of the stew. It was a rich beef stew, though Shinjiro-san had added plenty of vegetables for extra nutrients.

Then he set his spoon into his bowl, raising his eyes to look at Shinjiro-san.

"I owe you an apology, Shinjiro-san," he said finally. "I know I was tired last night but I shouldn't have been brushing you off like that…"

Shinjiro-san pressed his lips together. "It's okay, Ken. Makoto told me a little and it sounded like you had a rough night."

Ken absentmindedly stirred the stew with his spoon for a moment.

Ken asked, "What exactly did she tell you?"

"She told me that Akechi realized that you guys were going after Shido's heart, how you pissed him off because you were trying to protect Amamiya and separated you from the rest of the group… nothing much beyond that," Shinjiro-san said.

"I see," Ken said, pursing his lips together for a moment.

He suspected that Makoto did so because she felt that it wasn't her place to talk about it. He appreciated his girlfriend for thinking about him, especially since this wasn't… the easiest topic to discuss.

"Um, well, I did find out about something before everything happened…" Ken said carefully before he took a deep breath. "Akechi knew about Shido's plan... to kidnap me."

Shinjiro-san's expression darkened. "I was wondering about that. Since he ran off to lead off some of the men chasing you. It made you easy pickings once they attacked Sakura."

Guilt stabbed at Ken, making his stomach twist into knots, even though Shinjiro-san was keeping his voice neutral.

"But what else happened?" Shinjiro-san inquired before breaking off a piece of bread and dipping it in the stew.

Ken took a sip of tea before speaking. The warm drink helped calm his nerves a little.

"Akechi had it in his head that I should've sided with him because we went through similar things, that I should be helping him," Ken said with a sigh.

Ken just looked down at the table. He still felt baffled about that. He just… couldn't understand Akechi's logic.

Shinjiro-san's expression hardened at that. "So he's an entitled bastard, huh?"

"Something like that…" Ken mumbled out.

"And he picked a fight with you," Shinjiro-san stated.

Ken pursed his lips before giving a small nod. He was honestly a little embarrassed about how he let his temper flare during all that. He usually had a much better grip on his emotions but Akechi had just pushed all of his buttons.

He also couldn't help but think that Akechi was in on the plan… then Akechi knew Shido was planning on blackmailing Mitsuru-san. It wasn't just because Akechi would know about Shido attempting to force Mitsuru-san's hand… it was the fact that Kiyomi could've died that night—plus Minako-san could've gone through some complications herself.

Minako-san and Akihiko-san had already lost all of their family—and they could've lost their baby daughter that night too. It didn't matter that Kiyomi was okay now… it didn't erase the fact that Shido was the cause of Minako-san going into labor too early and he was the reason why Akihiko-san had to miss Kiyomi's birth.

And Akechi knew about the plan. This entire time. If he had actually cared about Ken, he could've done something.

"Ken?"

Ken snapped to attention before he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry… I was just thinking about something," Ken mumbled out before looking at Shinjiro-san. "Akechi basically got it in his head that if he could beat me in a fight, he could prove me he was 'right'."

Shinjiro-san scoffed. "That's a bunch of bull."

Ken just shrugged. "I won't pretend that I understand how his brain works. But I—"

Ken sighed before taking another bite of food. The food he had eaten already felt heavy in his stomach but it was a good way to try and figure out how to word this…

"I tried to get him to understand that his mother wouldn't want him obsessing over avenging her, especially with his path including him killing innocents. But… I couldn't. He was dead set on enacting revenge against Shido."

Shinjiro-san just tensed up and he ended up making the piece of bread in his hand crack with how he clenched his hand. Shinjiro-san muttered out a curse before dropping the piece of bread. He then grabbed a napkin to wipe off the crumbs from his hand.

"Ken—it ain't your fault. Akechi has to want to change and well… he's a stubborn little bastard."

Ken sighed. "I just thought… that maybe he needed to be reminded. Like with me…"

Shinjiro-san sighed.

"Some people do need the right shove," he acknowledged. "But some people remain set in their ways. So don't feel bad that you couldn't convince him that revenge isn't the path his mom wanted him to follow. You're not his damn therapist. It's not your job to get him to turn his life around."

He could see where Shinjiro-san was coming from but still…

But then Shinjiro-san suddenly crossed his arms over his chest, craning an eyebrow at Ken.

"So was that what was bugging you?" his guardian inquired. "I get that it's rough on you… but we're good, yeah?"

Ken fought the urge to grimace at Shinjiro-san's statement. Shinjiro-san still didn't know that Akechi wanted to kill him for the accidental part he played in his aunt Tsukiko's death. He only knew about Akechi throwing it in Ken's face about Shinjiro's part in his mother's death, and insisting they were the same…

"Just tell him already! I promised to be more open with him and everyone else," Ken internally berated himself before he bit his lip. "But… I can't hurt him like this…"

Shinjiro-san was staring at him, his brows furrowed together.

"I'm gonna take that as a no…" he said flatly. "Come on, Ken. Don't you trust me?"

"I-It's not about trust, okay?!" Ken blurted out. "Of course I trust you! You saved my life, you've done a gazillion things for me, but this is... I don't want to hurt you."

Shinjiro-san blinked once. And then twice more. Ken sighed, ducking his head in an attempt to hide his now burning cheeks. Shinjiro-san had probably thought he got hit hard in the head last night… He wasn't prone to this kind of rambling. He probably came off as a babbling lunatic right now.

Shinjiro-san repeated, "Hurt… me? What does Akechi have to do with me specifically?"

"Shinjiro-san… it's…" Ken trailed off, only to grimace as the memories from last night came floating into his mind.

"This… This is all for her! I will destroy him, in the name of my mother!"

Akechi's words just unburied unpleasant memories that he'd rather lock away… forever. And he didn't want to remind Shinjiro-san of the pain and anguish he went through because he felt guilty about killing Mom.

But… what if Makoto was right? And he promised to be more open about this…

Shinjiro-san's voice then grew soft. "Ken… come on. You know you can talk to me about this. We talked about this with Fuuka, remember?"

Ken bit his lip. He could always assure Shinjiro-san… right? It wasn't his fault that he had lost control of Castor that night. It was all a terrible accident and Shinjiro-san was not responsible for his aunt Tsukiko's death. Akechi had said it was the last nail in the coffin, so Ken guessed that she was wrestling with her mental health for a long time.

He just hoped that he wasn't making a mistake.

"There was something I didn't tell you… you know how he knows about… the night when mom… well…" Ken mumbled out. "Akechi wants to target you personally too."

"Targeting… me? He barely had a relationship with you and your mom?" Shinjiro-san stared at Ken, his expression bewildered. "What aren't you telling me, Ken?"

Ken took a deep breath. "It's about my aunt. Akechi told me that she left behind a… suicide note after she killed herself."

Shinjiro-san sighed as a deep frown appeared on his face. "Suicide, huh…?"

Ken winced. Well they had dealt with Futaba just a few months ago. That had hit Ken hard, especially with how it was her mother's death that had given Futaba such deep despair. But that's what frustrated him about Akechi… he refused to acknowledge that he had put someone exactly through what he went through.

Ken just nodded. "She… killed herself a few months after Mom died."

Shinjiro-san sucked in a breath but then his expression quickly grew neutral. Ken winced as guilt stabbed at him once more.

"Go on, Ken," Shinjiro-san said quietly.

Ken's mouth had gone completely dry. He swallowed hard before forcing himself to speak once more.

"Akechi told me that the last straw for his mother was finding out that Mom was dead. The last time they saw each other, they ended up fighting about what happened when my aunt became pregnant with Akechi."

"Your grandparents disowning her, yeah?" Shinjiro-san inquired, but his voice had become… distant.

He had to wonder how Shinjiro-san was processing all of this…

Ken answered, "Yes… they wanted her to abort her pregnancy. When she refused, they disowned her. Judging from their argument, my aunt blamed Mom for not standing by her. Mom was kinda… stuck in between her parents and her sister."

"Wait… if your aunt was pissed at your mom, then what… made her want to kill herself after finding out about your mom?" Shinjiro-san's voice grew confused.

Ken sighed heavily before he rubbed at his face. "I do remember vividly how the argument ended. My aunt yelled at Mom that she hated her."

"Damn..." Shinjiro-san winced.

"But I guessed it was in the heat of the moment and she regretted saying those things to Mom. And the guilt of never resolving things with Mom got to her…"

He couldn't help but wonder if Mom ever regretted not reaching out to her sister before she had died. He did remember a couple times where he found his mom sitting on her bed, slowly looking through an album of her family… and looking sad.

Mom was always vague about her sister in the past. Ken had thought it was because of the supposed scandal… but maybe it hurt her to talk about.

"So… she killed herself because..." Shinjiro-san swallowed hard. "I killed your mom."

Ken hesitated for a moment before giving a nod. Shinjiro-san's expression grew conflicted. Ken felt a pit form in his stomach, watching his guardian. Shinjiro-san pressed a hand against his face, a tremor running through his body.

"Shinjiro-san… it's not your fault," Ken insisted.

Shinjiro-san stayed silent and Ken couldn't help but panic.

"There were other factors… my aunt was going through a lot. She had to go through…" Ken suddenly winced. "She had to partake in unsavory things just to survive…"

She had to turn to prostitution and who knew what kind of sleazy clients she had to entertain. Just the mere thought made Ken want to shudder. And she had made it clear that she did not like her job and that she resented having to turn to that kind of thing just to survive.

Shinjiro-san lowered his hand from his face. He opened his mouth a couple times, only to quickly shut it.

Then he finally spoke.

"I know logically that you're right. I spent two years feeling awful about what I did to you and your mom. I killed an innocent woman and I ripped away your innocence that night. I was drowning in my own self-hatred and it's only thanks to Minako that I realized that I could move on with my life." Shinjiro-san then sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "But… a part of me still feels like I could've done something different that night. Especially knowing about your aunt…"

"But Shinjiro-san—it's not your fault! You didn't know about my aunt," Ken said quietly.

"I know that." Shinjiro-san suddenly cracked a smile. "If I had found out about this… maybe five years ago? That probably would've pushed me to a place I wouldn't want to be. But I've spent years trying to move on. I'll probably never forget that night…"

Ken bit his lip. That was true for him as well.

"But I won't let it chain me down either," Shinjiro-san finished, a steely look entering his eyes. But then he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I am sorry that it led to your aunt to kill herself. She didn't deserve to put herself through that kind of self-blame."

Ken couldn't help but wince a little. Shinjiro-san would know about that, wouldn't he?

"I'm sorry that also brought Akechi pain. He was an innocent kid once after all." Shinjiro-san's expression grew pensive, his brows furrowing together once more. Then he shook his head. "But it doesn't erase what he's done, of course."

Ken just sighed to himself. He knew that all too well.

"Um… Shinjiro-san," Ken spoke up. "I just… wanted to thank you. Seeing Akechi embroiled in his quest for revenge makes me think of what would've happened if you hadn't stopped me."

Shinjiro-san suddenly huffed out a laugh. Ken felt his cheeks grow warm.

"What are you laughing at?!" Ken demanded.

Shinjiro-san just shook his head. "You moron. Sure, I tried to get you to understand that enacting revenge wouldn't help you feel better 'bout your mom and that you shouldn't waste your life. Plus there was Aki being the one to convince you to not give up after I nearly died and wound up in the hospital. We could've talked to you until we were blue in the face. But you made the decision to change, to give up on revenge and to live. The choices you made were all the difference."

Choices… it really boiled down to that, didn't it? But Shinjiro-san wasn't done.

"You could've made the choice to refuse Mitsuru asking you to take on this mission. You could have chosen to keep hiding the truth from the Phantom Thieves. And I could have chosen to let my self-hatred and guilt swallow me whole… I learned to forgive myself." Shinjiro-san then looked at Ken. "Akechi made his own choices. He's just running away from the truth of the matter. He thinks if he buries his head in the sand, he can shut out the consequences of his choices."

His friends said something along that line too. All of the choices he had made… joining SEES, accepting the mission from Mitsuru-san, choosing to join the Phantom Thieves… they had led him to his current path. And despite all of the current difficulties, Ken was happy where he was.

And… Akechi had made his bed. He'd have to face the music at one point or another.

As would Shido.

"You're right, Shinjiro-san," Ken said quietly. "I guess I got caught up in everything that I forgot."

Shinjiro-san snorted. "You always get caught up in your head like that."

Ken pulled a face at him. "I rather use my head too much than too little."

Shinjiro-san snorted before flapping a hand at him. "Okay, Mr. Perfect Student."

Ken glowered at him but he returned to eating his meal. He wouldn't deign that with a response.

"What exactly happened with Akechi though?" Shinjiro-san suddenly asked.

Ken sighed. "He got away. We talked about it and we're going to deal with Shido as soon as we can."

"Even after that rough battle?" Shinjiro-san asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, Akechi is probably nursing his wounds… Ren said that we would either do it today or tomorrow. But I think tomorrow is more likely, with how most of everyone had to attend school so they're not at one hundred percent today," Ken answered.

Shinjiro-san nodded. "Sounds like a plan. About time that bastard went down… though he definitely is gonna put up one hell of a fight."

Ken sighed. He was well aware… Ken couldn't help but feel that Shido might be even tougher than the Hanged Man Shadow, the strongest out of the twelve Shadows that were separated from Nyx. So they would really need everyone at their one hundred percent.

Shinjiro-san remarked. "Wouldn't be surprised if his entire conspiracy would go nuts either. Especially with everything falling apart. I wouldn't want to be anywhere close to any of his associates. Who knows what they'd do to save their sorry asses."

Ken's eyes widened as a horrible thought suddenly struck him. Shido might… lash out and try to seek out Ren. Ren who lived in Leblanc. What if they roughed up Sakura-san during all that too? He didn't deserve that.

"Shinjiro-san? Can I ask you a favor?" Ken said cautiously.

Shinjiro-san raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, what's up?"

Ken explained. "It's about Sakura-san. I was just wondering… Shido might go after Leblanc since he knows where Ren lives. Could you hang around the area in case Shido sends some of his men after Sakura-san?"

Shinjiro-san frowned but then he nodded.

"Better safe than sorry. I can do that while you're kicking Shido's ass, then." Then his guardian frowned. "But how are you going to even get the calling card to Shido?"

Ken tilted his head. "That's a good point. We'll discuss it when Ren calls the meeting, though."

He wished that they had an inside with Shido, though. Haru was able to slip the calling card into Okumura's office and Makoto was able to pass off the calling card to Niijima-san being stuffed in their mailbox. And before that, they were able to hand deliver the calling card to Futaba.

From what he had heard, the Phantom Thieves had to resort to plastering the calling cards all over Shibuya to get it delivered to Kaneshiro.

Well, either way, he was sure that they'd be able to figure out something. They always did, after all.

---

Thursday, December 15th, 2016

---

Group Chat: The Real Phantom Thieves of Hearts

[Ren]: It's time. Let's get that bastard, once and for all.

[Ryuji]: Hell yeah!

[Makoto]: It's been a long time coming…

[Futaba]: No kidding!

[Yusuke]: I never would have imagined this would happen when I originally joined the Phantom Thieves to take down Madarame…

[Haru]: I don't think any of us could've guessed this...

[Anne]: We can't keep our guard down!

[Ken]: But… how are we going to send the calling card? Shido is not easy to get ahold of after all…

[Futaba]: Mwehehe… that's what you think, huh?

[Haru]: Futaba-chan…?

[Futaba]: Meet at our hideout! I'll unveil it all ;)

Ren pocketed his phone into his hoodie before stepping down to the café. Sojiro had closed Leblanc as promised.

Only Futaba had arrived—but that was no surprise, given how Futaba was just a block away. She was huddled over her laptop, giggling to herself. Ren crept up to her, to see what she was up to, but she turned around and swatted at him.

"Not until everyone else arrives!" she exclaimed.

Ren sighed before he pulled a face at her. "You can be so cruel."

Futaba just stuck her tongue out at Ren.

"You could always make curry while you wait," she said playfully.

"First you won't let me see what you're up to and now you make me cook you food… I see how it is." Ren let out a bigger, more dramatic sigh. "You're so cruel, Futaba!"

Futaba just flapped a hand at him. "Yeah, yeah."

Ren ended up making them drinks as they waited for their friends to make it inside. Ken arrived first, then Ryuji, Anne, and Makoto, and lastly—Yusuke and Haru. Haru had apparently made a detour, calling a ride so Yusuke wouldn't have to spend money on train fare.

Ren waited for everyone to sit down before speaking.

"So… this is it," he said, looking seriously to his friends.

Haru nodded. "All there's left is to send out the calling card, right, Ren-kun?"

"There's no going back after this," Morgana said solemnly. "Are you sure we're ready, Ren?"

Ren took a deep breath. "As ready as we'll ever be.

Then he looked to all of his friends. As Yusuke mentioned, Ren had never imagined that this would be the kind of person they'd be targeting. Even with Shido's conspiracy, Ren was also a little grateful. For it brought his friends to him. Hell, Ken might've never stepped foot in Tokyo if the Shadow Operatives hadn't been worried about what to do with Shido… and because they wanted to know what the Phantom Thieves were up to.

"Shido's had a hand in a few of our personal lives… but I don't think any of us can easily forget how he'll be dragging the country down unless we can stop him."

Ryuji nodded. "It's finally come down to this… So how exactly are we gonna send out the calling card?"

"Futaba said she had something up her sleeve," Ken said wryly.

"It's true that it would be difficult to get the calling card to Shido by our usual means," Yusuke mused, stroking his chin. "Makoto and Ryuji did get the message to Kaneshiro by putting up calling cards all over Shibuya but I feel that won't be as effective. And it'd be useless to send it to the Diet Building as well."

"And given how the media has been all over Shido… I feel that it wouldn't be taken seriously either," Makoto remarked. "Not to mention that it might be given to the police under the table…"

"So… what do you have up your sleeve, Futaba?" Anne asked, looking at their youngest member.

Futaba started to giggle, a devious glint settling in her eyes.

"Um, Futaba-chan?" Haru asked, frowning in concern.

Ken, on the other hand, just rolled his eyes at Futaba's antics.

"Should we be concerned?" he asked wryly.

Futaba rubbed her hands, ignoring Ken's jab. "Just you guys wait! My Futaba cannon is officially ready! I've been working on this baby ever since we resolved to go after Shido!"

Ryuji frowned. "Whataya mean?"

Morgana cocked his head. "You've been working on this for weeks? Uh… what exactly is it?"

"Take a look," Futaba said with a smug smile before pushing her laptop to face everyone.

They crowded in to take a look.

"This is…" Ken breathed out, only to trail off. He was truly at a loss for words.

"Damn, you hit it out of the park!" Ryuji crowed.

"Thanks guys!" But then Futaba grew serious. "But I was thinking… this is our biggest target. We're saving the country after all from a would-be dictator."

"Might as well go out with a bang, right?" Ren met her eyes before cracking his own grin. "Futaba… this is perfect. This is just what we need."

"Very stylish," Yusuke said with a chuckle. "Color me impressed."

"Not to mention, it's so kickass!" Anne exclaimed, beaming at Futaba.

Morgana looked up at Futaba before purring in delight. "You've really outdone yourself this time!"

"Man, I can't believe you never told us you were planning something this big!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"To trick your enemies, you first gotta trick your allies," Futaba said with a cheeky grin.

"So we're hijacking the broadcast to expose Shido…" Ken mused.

"We'll be laying out most of his crimes," Futaba explained. "Not sure if we should bring up the red tape, though… We can't talk about how Shido stole Mom's work, for sure."

Ken shook his head. "Mitsuru-san wouldn't want the public to be aware of the Shadow Ops and their activities. Best to leave them out."

Futaba nodded. "Okay. That's probably for the best. We'll have to work on recording everything, then. I'll scramble the voices before launching the broadcast, to protect our identities."

"Speaking of the Shadow Operatives—are you going to tell them about this broadcast?" Haru inquired.

Ken's face turned pensive but then he suddenly cracked a smile.

"One little surprise won't hurt them."

"We've finally corrupted him," Ren said in a stage whisper.

"It only took us nearly six months," Ryuji joked.

Makoto chided, "Boys, enough!"

Ren rolled his shoulders for a moment, slipping into all business as he looked seriously at all of his friends.

"But let's expose this bastard. He's had it coming for so long so let's make him squirm," he declared.

---

Before Kiyomi was born, Minako didn't understand why Yukari would sometimes just watch the twins sleep. But now… she understood.

There was a peace and tranquility to watching her baby daughter sleep, her rounded cheeks flushed pink. Minako traced the curve of Kiyomi's cheek, reveling in how soft it was.

"Wonder how long she'll stay down this time," Aki said tiredly.

Minako giggled. "We should probably get some rest, huh?"

She carried Kiyomi to her nursery, laying her down in her crib. It took Minako a moment to loosen Kiyomi's grasp on her shirt. Aki reached down, smoothing down Kiyomi's hair.

There was such a soft and gentle look on Aki's face as he looked down at Kiyomi. It made Minako smile, seeing it.

"I made the appointment for Kiyomi's check-up next week while you were sleeping earlier," Aki said quietly.

Minako sighed. "I can't believe she'll be a month old soon."

Kiyomi's original due date was December eleventh. If Shido hadn't…

Aki put a hand on her arm. "Come on, Mina, don't be like that. Kiyo's with us, safe and healthy."

Minako rubbed at her eyes. "Sorry… sometimes I can't help it. The what-ifs kept bouncing in my head."

Aki smiled in understanding. "Yeah… I get that, Mina. Believe me…"

Minako shook her head. "But you're right, no more focusing on the what-ifs."

"Wanna see if anything's good on TV right now?" Aki asked.

Minako giggled as Aki flicked on the TV. "I betcha they're airing crappy Atrimark Christmas movies—"

But when Aki turned on the TV, whatever was playing suddenly disappeared. Then the TV's screen became filled with static. Then a familiar red logo popped up.

Minako gasped, staring open-mouthed at the screen. But then she seized her husband's arm.

"Aki, turn up the volume!" she urged.

"Okay, okay!"

"WHAT IS UP, EVERYONE?!" a loud boisterous voice belted out.

"Mina, is this a c—"

"Shush!" Minako quickly shushed her husband.

From Ken's descriptions, the first speaker had to be Ryuji.

"We are the ones known as the Phantom Thieves," intoned a second voice.

"And all of us are alive and kicking!" Ryuji announced, his voice gleeful.

"Oh my god," Minako breathed out, her hand pressed to her mouth as she stared at the screen. "They're really doing it. They're going to steal Shido's heart."

Aki just shook his head, letting out a little huff. "I just hope Mitsuru doesn't wring Ken's neck for not giving us a warning."

---

"For the shitty guys in power, they've manipulating information and trying to hide the truth!"

"Holy. Shit."

Why didn't Ken tell them about such a cool calling card?! Junpei was honestly kinda jealous that he wasn't partaking in this.

"They certainly know how to make an entry," Chidori commented, her head tilted.

"It's probably Futaba-chan's doing," Fuuka remarked.

Junpei had invited her over to have dinner, especially since Fuuka was all by herself. He had thought they'd have a nice, fun dinner together. He had never expected that anything this eventful would happen.

"Sooo… before we appropriate our next target," a feminine voice chuckled.

The TV screen was doing all kinds of crazy stuff, bright letters flashing and a cartoony cat's head bouncing all over.

"We would first like to borrow your time!"

A graver voice continued, "The recent scandals of public figures, the accidents caused by psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns… They weren't caused by unknown reasons."

Damn… they were really going all in! Junpei leaned in close, practically on the edge of his seat.

"One man is behind every instance… simply to satiate his own greed."

Chidori whispered, "I'm just glad that he's getting what he deserves now."

"That man was afraid his crimes would be exposed and shifted the blame on us! He even manipulated the police!"

"They're really exposing everything," Fuuka murmured.

"We only steal the hearts of criminals! But this asshole tried to dump what he pulled on us!"

"Drag 'im!" Junpei yelled out, pumping his fist.

"That just shows how he doesn't care about the victims after all!"

"He's just paying lip service to the public! He doesn't care about the public or who he crushes along the way. All that matters is power, in his eyes."

"That voice…" Fuuka gasped, pressing a hand to her mouth. "Is that Ken-kun?"

"It sounds a bit garbled but…" Chidori pressed her index finger against her lips. "I think so."

"The identity of that cowardly man is—"

---

The TV screen went blank.

"Shido's men must've been scrambling to silence them," Aigis intoned.

"That's so unfair!" Labrys fumed.

Aigis just hummed in response. "I imagine it was quite chaotic, trying to silence this broadcast. Futaba-san must've planned this for a while."

"Yeah… but I can't believe the broadcast just got shut down like that!"

As the two sisters conversed, Mitsuru sighed, rubbing her temples. Why couldn't Amada give them a warning? She was glad that the Phantom Thieves were finally going for Shido's heart but this little stunt just about gave her a heart attack.

But then the TV flashed back to the broadcast.

"The man behind it all is a current cabinet member of all things."

Mitsuru pressed a hand to her mouth.

"Checkmate, Shido," she thought in amusement.

"The Minister of State for Special Missions…"

The screen showed a recent headshot of Shido.

"Masayoshi Shido!"

"Everything that guy says is a lie!"

Mitsuru's jaw dropped as the screen showed silhouettes of all the Phantom Thieves.

"And to prove it! Look! As you can see, all of us are alive and kicking! I'm sure the people investigating us can tell if this is a lie or not!"

They were really throwing all in for this… it was rather reckless of them but…

"Shido himself will confess to all the crimes he committed, look forward to it everyone!"

It was to back Shido into a corner, one that he couldn't weasel his way out.

"We're not going to sit back and watch this guy ruin this country 'cause of his goddamn ego!" The screen suddenly minimized, showing two teenage boys.

It was hard to tell who some of them were. She only got silhouettes and it's not like she knew what their costumes were. However if she had to guess, the one talking was Sakamoto right now. The way he spoke was very… unique. Even though she has only heard the boy speak in two different instances, his speech patterns were very memorable.

"Ain't that right… Leader?" Sakamoto asked, a grin in his voice.

That was when she saw Amamiya boldly step into the light, the only thing concealing his identity was his mask.

The sight of that made Mitsuru inhale sharply. She couldn't help but feel flabbergasted.

Amamiya declared, "Yes… but before that—we will take this country!"

His voice wasn't even jumbled up! That was even more reckless! But if she had to guess, that was on purpose. The people who arrested Ren would know his face and voice by now. They were flaunting it in Shido's face how much he and his men had failed.

"Your days are limited, Shido…" Mitsuru murmured.

She let a smile pull at her lips. The thought of Shido finally facing the music was very sweet indeed.

---

Ren couldn't help but smirk to himself as he watched Shido vehemently deny the accusations they had flung at him. Especially as people began to muse to themselves if Shido was saying the truth or not. It looked like they were getting to the public, even if it was just a little.

"Shido's acting all calm and collected, but he's prolly freaking out so bad," Ryuji whispered, unable to hold the excitement from his voice.

"And he expects us to apologize for standing up for what's right…?" Yusuke questioned, keeping his voice low. He then narrowed his eyes. "What a complete utter joke."

"He's the real criminal," Haru said, her voice soft.

With such a large crowd, it was all too easy to slip away. The crowd around the Diet Building was almost as bad as Shibuya's.

"Jeez… what a crowd," Ren remarked.

Yusuke said, "The calling card certainly has had a tremendous effect on everyone."

"All they're making is noise though…" Ryuji grumbled.

Morgana snickered. "This coming from you?"

"Aw, shuddup Morgana!" Ryuji glowered at the cat.

Makoto fussed at them to stop bickering but Anne had a pensive look on her face, her index finger pressed against her lips.

"Anne?" Ren asked.

"Oh!" Anne jumped. "I was just thinking with Shido knowing about the Metaverse so much. D-Do you think Boss might get into trouble?"

"Shit!" Ren couldn't help but curse to himself.

And Sae knew that Sojiro was his guardian. It'd be too easy for Shido to discover that info.

Futaba's eyes went round with fear, before she began to shake. "I-I didn't think about that."

"Don't worry about that. I already asked Shinjiro-san to look out for him," Ken suddenly spoke up.

Ken was… steadier today. There was a determination smoldering in his eyes. Ren was glad to see it.

Futaba visibly relaxed at that. "Okay… thanks, Ken."

Ken gave her a quick rub on the head with a smile. But Makoto eyed the crowd with uncertainty. They were yelling about whether Shido was right or not.

"Even after everything… not many people will want Shido to get a change of heart. What we're about to do is just… right?" Makoto asked.

"It is… the people are just shaken because they believed Shido would be the country's salvation," Ren reassured his friend.

"We lost our way once… but this is purely for the sake of justice," Morgana said. "We must bring Shido to justice… for all of his victims and for this country!"

"Are you guys ready?" Ren asked quietly.

His friends just nodded in unison.

"Then let's do this!"

---

Group Chat: Former SEES

[Minako]: KEN-KUN YOU HAVE SOME EXPLAINING TO DO

[Minako]: HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL US ABOUT THIS?

[Junpei]: HOLY SHIT THAT WAS SO COOL

[Aigis]: Perhaps Ken-san wanted us to feel surprised

[Aki]: That's putting it lightly

[Fuuka]: But… this is it, isn't it? They're going to steal Shido's heart…

[Yukari]: God, is that why everyone was going crazy? I was in a meeting and I missed everything!

[Mitsuru]: It appears that is their calling card.

[Aigis]: It is wise. It must've caught Shido's attention for certain.

[Minako]: KEN-KUN ARE YOU SERIOUSLY IGNORING US?!

[Shinjiro]: Ken ain't here. He went into the Palace

[Junpei]: Aw, man. I wanted to tell him how cool this was!

[Junpei]: Though, which was Ken? It was too dark to tell.

[Minako]: Hmm… that's a good point. Well the two boys we saw were Ren-kun and Ryuji-kun.

[Fuuka]: I saw a tuxedo and a… cape?

[Aigis]: I spotted the other male wearing a fox-inspired outfit

[Yukari]: Those are… interesting outfits

[Junpei]: So Ken's a dork running around in a tux and cape or is a furry?

[Yukari]: JUNPEI

[Minako]: I mean, Ken has always been close with Koro-chan.

[Fuuka]: Minako-chan, not you too!

[Mitsuru]: Well that's simple. Akihiko and Shinjiro saw Amada in the Metaverse did they not?

[Aki]: Yeah but your theorizing is pretty funny

[Aigis]: I believe this is… RIP for Ken-san.

[Junpei]: Yeah, you nailed it Ai-chan!

[Yukari]: Jeez… You guys are all horrible

[Minako]: Aw but it's how we show our love :(

Shibuya was insanely packed. Shinjiro had made his way down so he could head to Yongen-jaya.

The crowd was clamoring for more info on Shido. The calling card had worked them up into a frenzy. Shinjiro couldn't help but smirk as he watched the police struggle to contain the crowd. With how the whole lot of them was under Shido's thumb, they deserved it.

And the rest of Shido's men probably would have their hands full. They'd be scrambling to hide the truth that the calling card revealed. Ken didn't even share the full details with him, just a vague "We're going in to steal Shido's heart. Keep an eye out for the calling card."

Shinjiro couldn't help but think that it tickled Ken pink to keep this calling card a secret until its unveiling. And Shinjiro had to admit it was one hell of a calling card, the Phantom Thieves' last "hurrah".

He was too absorbed in his thoughts that Shinjiro ended up smacking right into a man.

"Sorry," Shinjiro muttered.

"'s all right," the man dismissed.

With a jolt, Shinjiro realized it was the shopkeeper—the one for that airsoft shop. Ken had gone there to try and find a better weapon. What was his name again?

"Eh… not important." Shinjiro mentally shrugged.

But he was staring up at the jumbotron, a wry smile on his face.

"So that's what you've been up to, kid," he said almost to himself.

Shinjiro raised an eyebrow. Ken did say that Amamiya had several contacts, not that was surprising with how Minato and Minako both had friends in all kinds of places.

He found himself looking up at the jumbotron himself. That was really one hell of a calling card. It was too fitting, especially with everything Shido's pulled over the years. It's been way too long of a wait but that bastard was about to get what he deserved. Like he told Fuuka, it was fitting that the next generation would be the ones to confront him.

"Good luck, guys," he whispered. "You've got this."

---

So… I lied. Next chapter will be the conclusion of the Shido arc. It'll fit much better, as the first half will be dedicated to confronting Shido and then the aftermath. But I do have some good news—I had finished writing the first three phases and I have the last two phases started. So I think Chapter 50 will come a little faster! (For reference, I already have 8.6k written for Chapter 50 now.)

Also I've been receiving questions about the Q2 fic getting an update. And please believe me that I want to update it more than you want to read it! But pestering me about it does not help matters. Receiving reviews just saying "please update" does not help. My muse is very low for it right now so I'm trying to take it slow with the chapter. I don't want to force it, as that means it'll involve lower quality writing. I also plan on going through the chapters and making edits since I find some parts a bit… messy. Hopefully it'll help with muse.

But thanks for reading guys! I've also tweaked how to join my discord for this fic—check out my tumblr personaaceinthehole for my details! And as always, I'd like to thank my wonderful beta angelrin89 for editing the chapter!

Reviews are love! I'd love to hear your thoughts about this chapter!