Chapter Text
Akechi didn't remember passing out on Akira after he got him out of Shinjuku. He ended up having another pleasant dream of a memory of them as a result. Akechi desperately tried to forget this incident more than the other one. It made life harder for the detective as a result when it was time to betray the Phantom Thieves.
It happened after the calling card was sent out to Mr. Okumura and the Phantom Thieves dealt with his shadow. Akechi had successfully assassinated the man's shadow and was just waiting for the mental shutdown to occur. Since the target was taken care of, Shido had made Akechi clean up a few more loose screws in Shinjuku. He had no names for Akechi so the detective was left in the dark. This was one of the few times he wished Shido would be more helpful when it came to remembering names. He never recalled the names of nobodies, but if they caused a problem then it became a problem for Akechi more than anything. The only information he got was that this person had been lurking in Shinjuku and preying on the vulnerable students there. The point of this was to lure these teens into working for Mr. Okumura while exploiting their need for money. If he waited until the mental shutdown then these people would come out of the woodworks. Shido demanded he do it now.
This was why Akechi had been wandering the streets of Shinjuku at night. He was tired so he didn't consider wearing a disguise that would suit Shinjuku. Looking back, that was probably why he put himself in a terrible situation to begin with.
He used his detective status to gather information on this man. Setsuna Kiryu was the name mentioned by the regulars of the area. Akechi needed to avoid a few people who were giving him odd looks but he had been able to go into bars and other adult stores to get the information he needed for his target. Once he got the name for tonight, he would go into Mementos tomorrow, find the man, and put him to rest.
His investigation landed him in trouble. Kiryu's henchmen were spying on him the whole evening and trailed him from the shadows. Akechi had the information he needed but when one of Kiryu's men approached the detective and said that Kiryu was actually seen here a few minutes ago goading a kid into joining him, Akechi felt that he had to address this. Even if he would handle him in the Metaverse, catching the man in the act would have at least made the people feel safer. Then, when the man died in prison, no one would even think twice at what happened.
He should have expected that it was a trap to lure him into an alleyway away from everyone. Why was he always getting cornered in alleyways to begin with? He wasn't that naïve!
"The Detective Prince needs to learn where to not stick his nose in."
I should have known. Akechi thought grimly to himself. He had found himself surrounded by four of Kiryu's men, back against the wall. He looked around to see if there was a way to get out of this one. There was only one escape and that was straight ahead. Otherwise, he would have to get risky with the Metaverse. There was simply no other way.
"It is in my job description to find and arrest criminals such as your boss," Akechi snarked despite keeping his usual fake smile on his face. "I am willing to let you all off the hook if you let me through. I am only interested in Setsuna Kiryu after all."
These men didn't want to hear it. Akechi kept a steady gaze on them even when they attempted to make the first move.
"You really think we're stupid, kid?" One of the guys asked. "We're going to keep you silent."
"That would be a difficult task," the detective hummed. "If something were to happen to me, my co-workers will surely notice."
That was a half-truth. On one hand, there would be a few people to notice if he were to suddenly disappear. On the other hand, the adults outside of Sae looked down on him. If he were to get cocky on the job and die, it wouldn't be a loss for them.
It's not that these guys didn't believe Akechi's claim that they would be targeted should they lay a finger on him. Rather, they didn't care if anyone noticed. People who didn't use their brain were more dangerous than a chess master at times. Someone as intelligent as Akechi had to react quickly or things wouldn't favor him.
Akechi had his phone ready to get into the Metaverse and scare away these goons. He underestimated how quick their reaction time was. They must have thought he had a weapon of some sort because an arm from the guy closest to him shot out and grabbed him. Akechi let out a surprised gasp as he tried to break free. He refused to drop his phone. He just needed to tap the red icon on his phone and then…
"You're not calling for backup."
"I would never dream of doing that," Akechi said calmly…or that's what he thought he sounded. His voice must have cracked because the men gave him a sinister smirk. "Don't underestimate me…"
"There isn't anything to estimate when we're done with you."
Akechi tried to hit the icon. He must not have pressed hard enough because nothing happened. The guy shoved Akechi into the wall, yet he still didn't let go of his phone. Something told him that the screen threatened to go to sleep mode and he lost his chance. His pleasant expression changed.
"You piece of…"
"You think we're going to let you call your buddies on us? Think again!"
And now the situation went from bad to worse. Akechi didn't have much time to think of another plan on the spot. Calling for help was out of the question. His pride wasn't going to allow that. He might have been stronger than what his appearance made him out to be, but he still wasn't strong enough to push this husky guy away from him. All he needed was his phone…
"This isn't helping your situation," the detective reminded them. His tone had some edge to it now. His persona was going to crack in front of them at any moment, but he wouldn't care if he was able to leave. Hell, he had every intention of finding out about these thugs in Mementos and finish them off as well for making things harder for him. "This is your last chance. Allow me to pass or I will have no choice but to arrest you along with your boss."
The thugs weren't listening at this point. The detective cursed mentally to himself at how bad this was. He needed to come up with another plan quick before-.
"Hey, what are you doing?!"
That voice! The detective prince knew that voice all too well and he didn't know if he should be happy or annoyed.
"Who the hell are you?!"
"I'm just a thief looking to steal the prince from your evil clutches."
The arrogance in his voice only annoyed Akechi even more. It didn't matter that Akira had laid punch on one of the guys to prove that he wasn't going to leave the scene. His eyes met with Akechi and despite the arrogant smile on his face, his grey eyes stared down the people hurting someone he considered a friend.
Being a Phantom Thief benefited Akira outside of the Metaverse more than he would like to admit, and it worked in Akechi's favor. Akira's swift movement allowed him to not only dodge any incoming punches thrown his way but to reach the older teen and get the punk off of him.
Akechi was completely taken off guard when he no longer found himself face first in the concrete. The arrogant thief even had the audacity to pull the detective close to him.
"Your knight in shining armor is here~," Akira hummed close to Akechi's ear. The detective shivered at the tone.
"Always have to play hero…" Akechi grumbled. "But this is a bad time."
"No, this is the perfect time. We're getting out of here."
Before Akechi could even protest, Akira had allowed his rival's feet to find itself on the ground. The raven haired teen didn't let go of the detective's hands. While the rogues were distracted from someone with lightning fast reflexes attacking them, Akira used this opportunity to push past the thugs and run into the open street with his friend. At first, Akechi considered this idea stupid. These thugs were insistent on keeping him quiet. That meant they weren't thinking about the consequences of pursuing them. The streets of Shinjuku were rather crowded tonight. It wasn't a good place for young people to be. Akira blended in with the surroundings unlike Akechi. If it was just the Phantom Thief, they would have lost these jerks easily.
"AFTER THEM! IF YOU LOSE HIM, I'LL HAVE YOUR FINGERS!"
Talk about an overreaction. Akechi was easier to spot in a bigger crowd. All Akira needed to do was push his way through random citizens in order to get the reaction he wanted. Akechi had always been the careful type to not push people away to get to his destination. Akira didn't care and the detective prince found himself making quick apologies to every person they pushed or knocked over. Hell, Akira made sure that Akechi wouldn't stop to help those individuals out. Surely this would make Akechi's reputation falter, but the two teens ran so fast that these people couldn't see that it was the detective prince they saw on TV.
Setsuna's thugs could only keep up for so long before things really got out of hand. Akira gambled with running in front of authority. Akechi's words wouldn't reach the raven haired leader in time.
"Kurusu-kun! Take the other path!"
Akechi only heard a low chuckle. The bastard thought this was funny! There was no fear when Akira ran past an officer on duty. The one thing that should not be done in front of the police was be in Shinjuku at night. It gave the implication that you're doing something illegal. It didn't matter if you were a teen celebrity or not. They would get you for being out late. Akechi felt his heart stop, knowing full damn well the cop saw them. But before he could even pursue the teens up to no good, Setsuna's men hurried past the cop too without realizing who they passed.
And immediately the shouting of the police could be heard. At this point, Akira took a turn in the direction of the train station. Akechi just didn't understand what was going through his rival's mind anymore.
Through the screaming and the yelling and the pushing and the whistlings, Akechi realized he hadn't had a rush like this in a while. It felt like one of those American action movies of the hero and the damsel using the crowd to their advantage to escape. Akechi made sure to not let go of Akira's hand as they pushed their way through the crowd. If it were like those American movies, gunfire would ring throughout the streets of Shinjuku.
Akechi never believed in miracles but it was a miracle when they caught the last train back to Shingen Jaya. Akechi wished it were the train that would take him back home but beggars can't be choosers. Besides, he didn't want those thugs following him back home.
The two found a seat and spent the next couple of minutes catching their breath. There weren't that many people on the train so Akechi got to hear Akira breathing heavily next to him.
"Hah…" Akira started once he was breathing again. "Why were you in Shinjuku?"
"I could ask you the same thing." Akechi told him. "My excuse is that I was investigating a smaller case. I would have been fine without you interfering again."
Akechi needed to bring up again. The other young man needed to mind his own business. Regardless, he didn't mind Akira stepping in again…
"What can I say? I saw the prince in distress and had to step in," Akira said with a weak laugh. "Uh…that jerk got a good punch in though. I think I might have to stop by the clinic."
Akechi probably would have snarked it was Akira's own fault for getting hurt but he couldn't help but worry. No one would get themselves hurt for him.
"I'm still wondering why you were in Shinjuku."
"I was visiting a friend," Akira answered quickly.
"Who?"
"Just…someone…"
The vague answer only made Akechi want to demand answers from him. He kept quiet instead and decided to check the wound Akira was talking about. The raven haired teen was confused at how forward Akechi was being. There was no teasing as Akechi moved his collar slightly to see a purple bruise swelling. He shook his head.
"You really didn't need to help me," Akechi said softly. "The last thing I want is to be in debt to someone like you."
Akira chuckled. "To be fair, I did want you to start calling me Akira. This is the second time."
"I was hoping you would forget that…"
Akira smiled in triumph. "Well, are you going to call me by my first name, my prince?"
Akechi rolled his eyes. His heart was racing but he remained annoyed with how Akira put his life in danger just to continue the teasing. He would never understand how Akira's mind worked.
"I don't see the point…"
"Come on, say it. It's easier on the tongue."
Akechi shook his head. "You are insufferable."
"You love me anyway."
Don't use the word love so casually. Akechi thought darkly to himself. He cleared his throat as he would indeed follow through with what Akira wanted. It wouldn't mean much next month anyway when Akira was a dead man. "…Akira-kun."
There was a pregnant pause. He noticed that Akira was stunned into silence hearing his own name from the older male's lips.
"…What?"
"Say it again," Akira demanded. "You make my name sound hot."
Akechi's cheeks were the things becoming hot. He groaned. "Don't make me change my mind."
Akira had requested his friends to meet up immediately the next day. Skipping school would prove difficult for almost everyone but their leader insisted that they all came together. Because Ryuji was already a delinquent, missing one day wasn't going to hurt that much…then again, the exams were a different story entirely. He was obviously conflicted but Makoto argued that Ryuji needed to take this seriously. The same applied to Ann who headed to Café Leblanc after the final exam. Makoto and Haru couldn't afford to skip so Akira would have to wait until later. Only Yusuke was available and honestly, that was the person Akira needed to see.
Futaba and Yusuke arrived early, confusing Sojiro greatly. Akira hated using Akechi as an excuse to not go to school but it was the only way to keep him safe.
Sojiro wasn't going to let Akira skip at the end of the day. The raven haired teen didn't want to argue with his guardian, but at the same time, Akechi was in desperate need of attention. Sojiro told him to get his stuff and he'd drive him to school. There was still time to finish the exams.
"We got you covered," Futaba told him seeing how anxious her leader was.
"Indeed," Yusuke added. "What did you need me to do while I'm here?"
"A Calling Card," Akira answered quickly. "We still have two more keys. Assuming we don't have to fight my cognitive self, there is still Cognitive Shido. I would rather have the card done quickly in case something came up." Yusuke understood what his leader wanted but Akira continued. "If we obtain all the keys but need the treasure to manifest, we just need to get Akechi to look at the card and we'll be able to retrieve it. Will you be able to do it?"
"It will be done when you return from your exams," Yusuke responded. "We will keep an eye on Akechi."
Akira accepted his answer.
"Akira, don't worry Akechi," Morgana repeated. "I'll stay here with them."
It would be odd to not have his cat in his bag but he would rather have Morgana watch over the detective as well. He still hadn't woken up after the traumatizing event yesterday. They needed to make sure he didn't freak out after waking up.
Ryuji was still waiting for him. He left early because of last night. As out of character as it was to head to school as soon as possible, last night did make him rather uncomfortable. As much as the detective pissed him off, he really didn't know how to help someone who was in the middle of a breakdown. Yes, it was cowardly to leave early but Akira was the only one who could help Akechi at this point. And that would be the struggle these three thieves would have once Akira left the café.
Despite these exams being important, Akira couldn't concentrate. The answers were obvious, but when he could only think about the detective and his palace, it was difficult to finish more than anything. Morgana wasn't there to give him hints. He needed to get through the day and then drag his friends back to Café Leblanc.
It was a miracle he was able to finish. Whether or not he did well was another story entirely. He prayed he didn't mess up as badly as Ryuji did.
Akira was serious when he said he was going to drag everyone back to the café. Futaba had texted the group chat about what was going on but made sure not to do it during the exam. She sent private messages to Akira about Akechi's condition. He had woken up but he refused to talk to them. She complained about how he wouldn't stop glaring at her and she wondered if it had to do with his connection to her mother. Akira imagined that Futaba would pick a fight with Akechi and everything he did last night would have been for naught. Futaba wasn't like that. She understood the hell he went through, but it didn't change how she had to put up with her mother's killer. It truly wasn't fair to her and Akira could only text her she needed to hang in there. The group was heading there even if Akira took a head start. Not like that mattered when they all ended up taking the same train to the same location.
Sojiro snapped at Akira when he forced the door open to the café. There was no need for this guy to be aggressive with the door handle. Akira made a quick apology while running up the stairs. The other thieves came in gently in comparison and apologized for their leader acting like this.
"I'm going out for a bit. Make sure the sign is turned," Sojiro reminded the group. Makoto would surely do it without needing to be reminded.
The second in command did what Sojiro told her to before following the other thieves up the stairs. Akira was already speaking with Yusuke and Futaba about Akechi. The older teen sat on Akira's bed with his legs folded up to his chest. He was rather unresponsive as Futaba mentioned in her message but he was no zombie. He did react when they attempted to start a conversation about the palace. Any time they tried to ask about his situation he responded with an awful silence. His eyes would only glare at them if they asked him something he really didn't want to talk about. Overall, he didn't completely shut down but nothing was actually done outside of Yusuke telling him about the calling card.
"Maybe you'll have luck coaxing info out of him, oh great leader," Futaba couldn't help but snark. She had been rather crabby with how Akechi had been acting. Then again, she should know what it's like to shut yourself from the world.
"We need answers," Morgana answered. "We already know how he survived the palace. We need to know why he has a palace and permission to be able to hurt his cognitive version of Shido."
That minor detail did slip Akira's mind. They couldn't harm him when they first tried to fight Shido. Cake's horse was able to hit him without any problems but all that did was annoy and distract him instead of actually hurt him. Cake claimed that the keys were needed to be able to stand up against his father but the problem with that was that it would be impossible to get the last key without confronting Cognitive Shido. Morgana probably put two and two together at some point that in order to hurt Shido, they needed Akechi to realize that the man wasn't all that powerful especially now that the real one had a change of heart.
"You know," Ryuji started. No one stopped him from saying something stupid. "It's kind of lame to need to ask permission to kick his dad's ass a second time now."
"But we don't have a choice," Yusuke told him. "Otherwise, we'll be wasting time if we try to go in there."
"But we also need the key from Cognitive Joker," Makoto added. "Even if Cake told us he'll cooperate, we have no guarantee he will."
"Oh, he will," said Akira as he looked over to Akechi who was clearly eavesdropping on the conversation happening in front of him. "You'll allow the other me to help, right?"
"That devil would help even if I think he shouldn't," Akechi grumbled sarcastically.
Only the Phantom Thieves' leader could get an obvious reaction out of him without even trying. Besides Shido, Akira was the only one who had a strong influence on his cognitive.
"So he'll give us the key without needing to fight him again?"
"If he feels like it. He's as difficult to deal with as you are."
The thieves as a whole agreed and that only caused Akira to give a melodramatic sigh.
"I'm hurt you all think I'm hard to deal with."
"You were an ass yesterday," Ryuji said simply. "And the day before…"
"And you're being stubborn," Makoto added with a frown. "To be honest, that cognitive of you is accurate."
"Minus the whole 'I'm willing to kill everyone for my love'." Futaba joined in. "That's just too anime."
Akechi's glare found its way back at Futaba. "I already know Akira-kun wouldn't do that. That's what I meant by the devil being unpredictable."
Morgana could have quipped that it was just an excuse and that the detective secretly wished Akira picked him over the Phantom Thieves. That wouldn't help the situation so he kept that to himself.
"So now that the third key can be easily obtained, can you let us beat up Shido again?" Akira asked trying to change the subject.
"Impossible," Akechi answered quickly. "You're asking for too much."
"We're trying to change your heart."
"I don't want it. I'd rather die."
"That's not an option we're giving you."
"I'm certain that it's you who won't let me die, oh great leader."
"I mean, you survived Shido's palace so you clearly have the desire to continue living."
"Doubt it."
Akechi was harder to deal with than Futaba. Not like Akira wanted to admit it. Yesterday, the detective demonstrated a colorful variety of emotions. He confessed he wanted to be saved. He confessed to being scared out of his mind. He made it clear he wanted to believe in the small thing called hope. Now, he closed himself off again and was doing his damn hardest to not let anyone in.
The saving grace of this situation was Akechi's barriers were far too fragile to work for a long period of time. The former thief knew that more than anyone. His last resort was to be dismissive of his dire situation, but he had no energy to fight back.
"A change of heart is pointless," Akechi said nonchalantly. "It won't change your situation and it won't stop those who work for Shido. There are too many of those men for you to deal with individually and I already signed the contract…"
"We have it right here-." Futaba started but was interrupted.
"It's meaningless. You could give it to the police but that wouldn't change anything. You don't know who is working with Shido. You could show it to the wrong person and they would find a way to use that against me. Not to mention, they have multiple copies. Having the original won't mean anything if they can all flaunt that I signed it. And then…"
Akechi stopped himself from talking. Akira knew what he was going to address next.
"…Those pictures…" Akira muttered. Outside of Ryuji, the group was left in the dark of that so this was new information.
"…Even if a change a heart cast away my pride, there wouldn't be a future if those were leaked."
Akechi never believed he had a future but the pictures being posted on the internet guaranteed he would never be able to work in public again. There was other information they could leak if push came to shove such as his relationship with Shido. If Akechi revealed it, then the power went to him but if someone else revealed it, even if Shido was ruined, Akechi would be shamed to the point of no return. Jail wouldn't even be able to save him if the inmates wanted revenge on him.
Of course Makoto had to interrogate.
"Akira, what pictures? This is the first time we heard of it."
Akira didn't want to speak about it but he had no choice. "Yesterday, I was sent pictures of what Shido's men are using to blackmail Akechi…they were taunting me with it."
Akechi shook his head in disbelief. "They said they wouldn't…but they still did…"
Makoto's expression softened. She had been put in that situation with Kaneshiro. The only difference was he kept his promise of not showing it as a way to motivate the group to do his bidding. The detective wasn't so lucky. His blackmailers were fickle because of their own deadline. If the Phantom Thieves didn't traverse Mementos soon, they were all screwed.
"And this is why what you're trying to do now is pointless," Akechi insisted. "It's better to leave me for dead than to get dragged into this any longer."
"We don't have a choice," Ann said. "Those same people will find a way to arrest all of us even if we haven't done anything."
Akechi chose not to speak anymore. Akira grumbled mentally to himself how they were so close to getting him to open up, but he's being as stubborn as he was known for being.
"We're almost done with your palace," the raven haired leader repeated. "We only need you to allow us to help you."
"I don't want help."
"Your shadow said otherwise."
"My shadow doesn't know what it's talking about. And I didn't even have a shadow before this…what would it know?"
"You would be surprised. In fact, Cake told me that-."
Akira was interrupted by a sudden phone call. The detective froze in place hearing his phone. Akira recognized the look Akechi had in his eyes.
Fear. Absolute fear.
"Don't answer it."
Even if Akira demanded the detective not to do that, there would still be consequences to him not answering his phone. The wait for the ringing to stop felt like an eternity. When it finally stopped, the sound for the missed call came up. A moment later, a message was left. Akechi refused to pick it up.
The silence was suffocating. Akira wanted to tell Futaba to check the number and determine where it was. Akechi needed to stay far away from these adults who kept exerting their authority over him. At the end of the day, Yusuke's lack of social tact allowed the group to continue the conversation. He was the one that ended up looking at the phone and shaking his head trying to maintain his cool.
"These awful adults have no tact."
Akira was scared to ask what sorts of threats they used on the detective. Yusuke's inability to answer gave a good clue on how bad it was. It really was best if Akechi didn't look at the phone.
"What did they say?" Morgana ended up asking.
"…It's probably a warning about how if I don't leave this place…they'll expose the pictures…" Akechi murmured. "The moment I step outside…I'm finished…"
The detective tried his hardest not to show any sort of emotion. He hit the mark on what was texted to him and he struggled to remain calm. He needed to pretend that he didn't care. If he showed even a tiny bit of emotion, the thieves would find a way to abandon him.
"We won't let those men take you," Akira reassured him. "We're all on agreement on that."
Because of what Devil Joker did, the thieves that were on the fence understood how bad the detective had it whenever he was in the care of Shido's allies. No matter how some of them would never forgive Akechi for his crimes, what would bestow him should they allow it would not make them feel any better.
"We just need you to cooperate," Morgana told him bluntly. "We need you to answer our questions and clear up a lot of questions we have."
The traitor let out a loud sigh, realizing that no matter what he said, they would be adamant about getting the truth out of him.
"…Fine. Ask away."
Akechi did not make things easy for the Phantom Thieves. If only he was as easy to talk to like his shadow then they wouldn't be on the verge of losing their cool. Akira knew Akechi would continue to push them away even when it didn't benefit him. The Phantom Thieves should have been used to treading these sorts of topics carefully given how they handled Futaba. Makoto glanced over to Akira. She made a decision that Akira wouldn't like. She knew that their leader wouldn't address it but they needed clarification from Akechi's own mouth. The last thing she wanted was for it all be some trick for sympathy points.
"About your memories," Makoto began. "The ones that Devil Joker showed us...did they actually happen as shown or is your mind playing tricks on you?"
Akira almost yelled at Makoto for asking the question. The other thieves were just as stunned even though they knew that should have been one of the questions for the detective. Akechi wasn't all that surprised that Makoto would ask. However, his reaction was far from pleasant.
"Those events happened unfortunately," Akechi said. He tried so hard to keep his prince façade on that it creeped the others out. "Shido-san was always watching me. He controlled every aspect of my life without me realizing it…"
"If those events happened…" Futaba started. "Then…why did you target Mother?!"
This conversation went downhill rather quickly. Akechi's lack of emotion only fueled the fire.
"It was an order. You saw the memory through my eyes. I didn't know what would happen if I killed the shadow. I just did what Shido-san told me to do. But after that, if I disobeyed him or failed a mission, he would punish me." His body started shaking. Not like the other thieves would notice…
"Futaba-chan-." Ann started to say but Futaba continued.
"Why? Why her?! You could have killed any shadow. Why did it have to be Mother's shadow?!"
Futaba was furious and rightfully so. When they were in Shido's Palace, they couldn't help but feel sorry for the detective. Now Futaba had received more information she didn't want to know. Why would she want to look through the eyes of the person who killed her mother? Why was she so terrified about the truth of the events? Why couldn't Akechi just leave things in a black and white manner?
"You already know the answer…" Akechi mumbled. "You all already know how short-sighted I am…"
Akira swore he wasn't the only one who noticed that Akechi was sweating. His body refused to stop trembling and he was taking shorter breaths. For being the leader of the group, he sure as hell wasn't taking the conversation in a direction that would benefit Akechi. The Phantom Thieves (specifically Makoto) weren't done interrogating him.
"When you said Shido was watching your every move, did you stop and think that he knew about your plan?"
Akechi shook his head. "No…when I first became Shido-san's hitman, the only thing on my mind was to do whatever it takes to get in his good graces. But…as you can see from my earlier memories with him…it was…difficult."
Difficult was an understatement. Akira didn't need to be reminded how Shido had no problem treating his own son like a prostitute if it meant gaining more allies.
"…I always wondered how Shido-san knew about the little details that I tried keeping to myself. He has my schedule and pays attention to the people I am acquainted with…but when he didn't like them, he had them killed…"
"Except for Xenos," Ryuji brought up.
"…I had to act fast," Akechi admitted. "I accepted the punishment if it meant a detective like Xenos could continue living. Transferring him to another location that Shido-san could care less about benefitted the both of us…but I always assumed Xenos was mad at me for making a decision like that without telling him the reason why."
"He already came to the conclusion," said Akira. "He's not stupid."
"No, I know he's not…it's why Shido-san wanted me to distance myself from him…but…" Akechi took a deep breath. He desperately needed to calm down.
"Since Shido has a change of heart, it should be safe to contact him now," Morgana stated. "Why didn't you do that?"
"His life is still in danger if I were to get in contact with him…or any of you…"
"We've been through worse," Akira responded in a snarky tone.
"That's not the point!" Akechi exclaimed. "If you saw my memories, then you would know what Shido and his men are capable of!"
That should have been the end of the topic. Something inside of Akechi boiled and burst to the surface. The Phantom Thieves did not like the rather crazed laugh that suddenly came out of him.
"Everything Shido-san did was something I deserved…he always had a different punishment ready and waiting for me to mess up. Sometimes, I think I would do what he told me perfectly and still get punished…heh heh…"
"A-Akechi-kun…" Makoto said but he clearly didn't hear her. Or maybe he just ignored her.
"I wonder which memories you thieves saw. Did you see the one where Shido-san almost killed me with those electric eels? Or did you see the one where they treated me like a human toilet?"
"Akechi!" Akira immediately shouted.
"What about the one where Shido had the yakuza rip off my fingernails? Or maybe the one where he thought it would be amusing to see how many drugs he could inject in me before I passed out?
Whichofyou had the memory of the time Shido usedatamedbeastinheatto fuck me in frontofthosepervertedscumbags?
Howaboutthemomentwhentheypoured candlewax on my body and letitburnfor hours on end?
Mypersonalfavoriteonewaswhentheywroteallovermybodyandcalledmeaslut.
Andthentherewas the sick fuck whoputeggsinsideofmeandIhadtoforceitoutlike a baby~
Or the freak show with the sex machine in the underground."
Akechi suddenly felt someone grab him. His mind immediately shut down and he screamed.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!"
The detective ended up slapping whoever tried to calm him down. He didn't even realize he was having a panic attack in front of the Phantom Thieves until the he could hear their shouts of concern.
"Akechi, calm down!"
Akira's voice!
"H-Huh? A-Akira…kun…"
What did he say? What was he doing? Why did the Phantom Thieves look so scared of him? Or were they scared for him? Akira's concerned eyes forced Akechi to catch his breath. He couldn't exactly recall what he just confessed to a second ago…
"…This is worse than we thought," he heard Makoto saying.
"See, this is why you shouldn't have brought it up!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"…Everyone, please head downstairs," Akira ordered.
Before the detective registered what was transpiring, the other Phantom Thieves had taken their leave. His attention was still to the leader whose expression softened.
"Sit down," Akira said gently.
Surprisingly, the brunette did what he was told. He still didn't know what he just said that made everyone leave without another word.
"…You gave us quite a scare," Akira said.
"…What did I…"
"Besides having a panic attack on us? You said some things that should have been left to speculation…" Akira's expression darkened. "…But to think that all happened to you…"
Oh…now Akechi remembered. He blurted out many of the ways Shido and his associates tortured him into submission.
"…Sorry…I don't…"
"No, it's okay. Take your time to calm down," the raven haired teen insisted. "These past few days have been very long."
Ever since that day in Shido's Palace, Akechi stopped counting the days in December. He really thought his life was over, so there was no point in thinking about the future. And yet…Akira was right in front of him.
"…I'm sorry…" Akechi repeated. "I really…"
Akira cut him off with a sudden embrace. It was risky to touch Akechi given what happened. Still, after everything he's been through, the detective needed a hug, and Akechi accepted it. This surprised him greatly given how badly he reacted to Akira touching him a few minutes ago.
"…We can stay like this for as long as you need it," Akira told him. While in the back of his mind, he knew he would have to venture downstairs and speak to the others, he needed to calm Akechi down. That's right, as long as I am here, I will make sure nothing happens to you, Akechi.
"But…your friends…"
"They can wait. Right now, I'm here for you."
Akechi closed his eyes, relieved that even for a few minutes, Akira would stay with him and remind him this wasn't a dream. He was with the younger male for real and nothing was going to ruin this moment for him.
Calming Akechi down took longer than expected. Akira should have known that it took time for someone to calm down from a panic attack and Akechi was no exception. The combination of stress and the Phantom Thieves traveling in the palace resulted in the detective freaking out. It was still justified for Akechi to be paranoid of Shido and his men coming back to him, but Akira wished he could convey that he wasn't alone and they would be there to help him. Granted, it would be difficult to recover from the torture Shido had inflicted on the detective but Akira at least would be there every step of the way.
It was like last night for Akira only it seemed worse today. Would it affect how Akechi's palace was when they returned?
Akira had other problems to deal with in the name of one Sojiro Sakura. He was generous enough to close the shop for the day so as long as the group remembered to finish what they needed to do. However, Sojiro had his reasons for deciding to hang around while the Phantom Thieves were upstairs. Akira felt a chill down his spine seeing the look Sojiro gave him as he came down the stairs. The others avoided eye contact with him. It was almost like he gave all of them a huge scolding (and probably why Futaba looked ready to cry again).
The silence was deafening. It was like the time Sojiro found out that he and Futaba were members of the Phantom Thieves.
"Akira, we need to talk."
God, those four words never brought good news. Akira looked over to Ann hoping she had a good idea on what was going on. She gave him the most sympathetic look imaginable.
"Is it about last night?" Akira asked suspiciously.
Sojiro didn't respond immediately. He took a slow breath hoping to calm himself. Akira glanced over at the thieves again who still were giving him a sympathetic look.
"If it was just about last night, I wouldn't need you kids in the same room…" Sojiro mumbled. "I don't understand why you would save Akechi after what he has done to you and your friends. If it was just what I was told previously, I wouldn't need to say anything. However, I just happen to return to retrieve something I forgot…only to hear you kids screaming upstairs…"
Akira's blood became cold. He had a very good idea what Sojiro was going to tell him.
"…I had some doubts about that kid but to think he really killed Wakaba…"
Welp, if there were any hopes of convincing Akechi to stay, it was gone now. Wakaba meant the world to Sojiro and for Akechi to admit quite loudly he killed her made the detective's situation even worse.
"Futaba, you knew from the very beginning…" Sojiro continued. Futaba froze up when she was brought into the conversation. Akira noted she had the same reaction like when Sojiro confronted them about the Phantom Thief calling card. This was way worse. This was about an incident that changed their life forever.
"I-I learned about it recently…" Futaba started. She shivered knowing how badly Sojiro would react.
"When you explained the situation to me, you all made it abundantly clear that you wanted nothing to do with Akechi. What changed?"
Why was Sojiro asking them (specifically Akira) this? He already knew the answer. Akechi was a victim of Shido just like everyone else that politician used. Even if Akechi was a murderer, he was still used. That's why Sojiro pitched in and helped them out last night.
"He's being taken advantage of…" Akira began speaking. He hated how it sounded like he had bile in his throat. "If we don't help him, those scumbags will…"
"Why would you help him with the list of crimes you gave me?" Sojiro asked darkly. "From what you told me, he killed many people using the Metaverse. Some of these people included Futaba's mother and Haru's father. He directly framed your group for the latter's death as well as your school's principal. And then he set you up to take the fall and tried to kill you. I'm asking because you were all so proud of your plan working when you told me that one wrong move could have been the end."
Why did Sojiro have to throw logic back at Akira's face? He was the only one who was hurt the most by this. His friends wouldn't give Akechi a second chance if given the opportunity…a tragic backstory didn't excuse his actions…
"It's true. Akechi-kun has committed countless murders including my father's…" Haru spoke when Akira failed to. "I have no intention of forgiving Akechi-kun for what he has done. But, knowing that there are horrible people out there that have taken advantage of Akechi-kun for their own selfish fantasies, I cannot stand by and allow that to happen." Haru was speaking from experience. If not for the Phantom Thieves, she would have been sold off by her father and be living in a miserable relationship. If she was able to escape it, the detective could too. "I have the power to stop others from almost suffering the same fate I did. Even if Akechi-kun is irredeemable in my eyes…I won't let him be taken. I rather have him be judged for his crimes than being sold to those creeps!"
Haru was too kind for her own good. But her kindness did not mean she was weak. Rather, it showed how much she had grown in the few months she's been with the Phantom Thieves. Haru put herself down often but Akira felt like she never gave herself enough credit.
"Haru…" Akira called out weakly to her. He shut himself up knowing it would be bad to speak to her given her situation.
The Empress's courage easily transferred to others who felt similar to her. Futaba remained in awe for a bit before she joined in.
"Haru has the right idea. I'm furious with what he did with Mom. Even when he told me that he didn't know what would happen if he killed her shadow, it still doesn't change how I feel. I know that Shido is the one to blame for Mom's death! And I know that it's wrong to blame everything solely on Akechi-kun. Right now, we can't even get a straight answer from him unless we help him out. I won't be satisfied until I know everything, and those rotten adults aren't going to take advantage of someone who can't fight back. Not on my watch anymore!"
Sojiro was taken back by Futaba's sudden surge of confidence. It was a decent answer in his ears.
"Futaba…" Akira mumbled. Really, Haru and Futaba were the two people who had the right to walk out on this mission but they chose to stay…
"While he has given us problems, Akechi-kun is still one of us," Ann finally said. It was such a controversial thing to say given what Sojiro just listed. "We all saw what happened to him in the past. We can't just leave him for dead after that. It would go against what the Phantom Thieves stand for!"
The leader of the Phantom Thieves couldn't help but smile at Ann. Even if he felt like everyone was helping him out of obligation, Ann truly wanted to save Akechi like him. If they could just save Akechi and help rehabilitate him, then maybe…they could see what Akira has been seeing all of this time…even if it's just wishful thinking.
Akira needed one more push to convince Sojiro to allow Akechi to stay. This man was a huge softie but he had his limits to what was generally acceptable. The Phantom Thieves knew that Akira was desperate to protect the detective. What they didn't expect was for Akira to get on his knees.
"Please, Sojiro! Please allow Akechi to stay!"
It wasn't just the Phantom Thieves that were surprised. Sojiro thought he knew Akira at this point. He learned that Akira wasn't a troublemaker as he was made out to be. The raven haired teen was rather quiet but very thoughtful when he did speak. He rarely lost his cool even when things weren't going so well for him. He had a cocky side and had his pride. What Sojiro hadn't seen before was Akira throwing his pride out the window for someone who tried to murder him in cold blood and frame it as a suicide. How much compassion did this kid have?
Sojiro hated being put on the spot. It was already difficult to say no. Common sense should have won in this situation. Akechi was dangerous and would get them all killed. The police were already going to target them for being the Phantom Thieves but this would make even more people come at them faster. They needed to deal with Mementos and actually make sure that Shido would be put to justice. How could they do that if they're just sidestepping what Akechi had done for that corrupt politician?
"You're not giving me much of a choice…" Sojiro said with resignation in his tone. "If there weren't bigger issues at hand, then I would be having you sit down and give me a better answer than what you just gave."
"S-Sojiro…"
"…When this is all over, I am going to have you and Akechi sit down at the table. We are going to have a very long talk. You both have no right to refuse."
Akira feared for that conversation. Sojiro acting like a disappointed parent hurt but he would take all the blame for keeping information like this about Akechi a secret if it meant allowing him to be protected a little while longer.
Sojiro gave a disappointed look to the other thieves as well. He made it clear that he wasn't pleased with important information like this was kept from him. They all feared to upset him but the damage was already done. While they were inside the palace, Sojiro would have time to think about what happened and speak with Akechi on his own if he chose. Right now, he needed to leave and clear his mind of this new report.
The moment Sojiro left, Morgana just had to rub salt in the wound.
"I told you so!"
"You said nothing…" Akira grumbled before exhaling a deep breath he didn't realize he was holding in. "How many times is he going to keep giving me heart attacks?!"
"Makoto just had to bring it up." Ryuji was quick to blame. Naturally, he knew he could get away with it because for once, Makoto started it.
"W-What? You can't just put the blame on me!" Makoto exclaimed.
"Knock it off, Ryuji."
Ann was always going to defend Makoto against Ryuji even if he was in the right. Ryuji groaned at Ann before calling it quits. He would have another time to tease Makoto about stuff.
"Sojiro limited the amount of time left we have," Morgana started.
"He had a good reason," Yusuke interrupted. He brought this up because he noticed Futaba falling into silence. "We might have told him what Akechi had done to us but we didn't tell him his involvement with Futaba's mother's death. His anger is justified."
Of course it was. After handling Shido, the group needed a break but because of Shido's associates, they needed to hurry with Mementos. Akechi made things more complicated but Akira was determined to save him.
"We only have two keys left to obtain in the palace," the black cat continued.
"The cognitive version of Joker has one of the keys," Haru added. "He said he would give it to us if we help him."
"We still can't be too sure," Morgana reminded her. "He may be sympathetic to our cause but after what he did, we can't be too sure."
"What, you don't trust that cognitive?" Akira asked casually. "Despite the fact Akechi gave us permission?"
Mona leered at his owner in annoyance. "That cognitive is not even close to being you! I don't care what any of you said! What we saw was definitely not the Joker we know!"
Are you sure about that? Akira wanted to ask. Besides Futaba, the group was pretty convinced that Devil Joker was him until Cake exposed him as the fake.
"Anyways, the last key is in Cognitive Shido's hands. We beat him and we'll have all four keys assuming Cognitive Joker will give us the key like he promised."
There was no doubt Devil Joker would give them the key. The main problem stemmed from Cognitive Shido. The Phantom Thieves couldn't even lay a finger on him. Granted, they didn't get to do much and the power of the palace was dwindling with their interference, but that didn't mean anything if Cognitive Shido couldn't be defeated.
"Should I finish the calling card?" Yusuke asked casually.
"Is that necessary?" Ryuji asked. "He's already aware that we're in his palace."
"And Cake told us that we can just take the treasure afterward," Ann added.
"It would be a safety precaution," Makoto said. "Even if we exit out of the palace to deliver the calling card, it would still take up some time."
Akira knew that Yusuke probably already finished the calling card and was in the process of revising it. The artist enjoyed making these cards so it wouldn't come off as a surprise if he was figuring out which words would go together that suited Akechi's personality.
"We don't have to worry about Inari. He's probably just adding fancy words to the calling card," Futaba hummed.
"How rude."
So the calling card was already dealt with regardless if it was needed or not. There was just another issue that was on Akira's mind.
"Did you speak with your sister?"
Makoto nodded her head. Akira could always expect her to do these sorts of things when he wasn't focused.
"I spoke with her after my exams," Makoto explained. "She and Xenos-kun will be arriving here soon."
Good. Everything was going according to plan. How would Sae react to seeing Akechi after she learned he betrayed her? Would she feel sympathy or would she treat him terribly? She didn't like being messed around with. Perhaps Xenos being there would help make the situation easier. Regardless of Akechi's crimes, Xenos remained sympathetic toward the younger detective.
"So after we speak to your sister, we should be ready to head into the palace."
Akira was certain that would be it. They needed to prepare for the last day in the palace. Knowing how palaces became when the treasure was in danger of being stolen, it wouldn't be easy.
"Unfortunately, we can't just jump into the palace and tie up loose ends," Yusuke brought up. "Shido's men might do something drastic while we're inside the palace."
That was the problem. If Shido's associates got involved, they would be in big trouble. The police already forced their way into the café not too long ago. What would stop them from doing it again? With how everyone was acting about Shido's confession, they might have to result to something more extreme to keep their mouths shut. Akira couldn't allow them to reclaim Akechi while they finished up in the palace.
"Do you think Xenos-kun would be able to handle it?" Haru asked. "If not him, perhaps his bodyguard?"
Ryuji had to agree on that. "I mean, that guy was scary. He might be able to scare them off…"
"They can. If there's one thing those two are good at, it's chasing people away."
Akechi's voice caught Akira off guard. Yes, he was upstairs but he didn't expect him to come back down. At least he didn't have to tell the group that he left the detective alone to calm down. The brunette being able to change his mood was amazing and worrisome at the same time. He needed help but…
"Can we really trust them to watch over you?" Makoto asked suspiciously. "We only learned just now that Xenos-kun was acquainted with you."
"He is not an accomplice if that is what you're thinking," the detective interrupted. "I may have kept in contact with Xenos but I never involved him in any of my plans. He is as honest as he looks."
"…He had a gun and a sword," Akira couldn't help but bring up.
"His secondary job is a performer."
"I could have assumed much," Futaba hummed. "He gave us his stage name and not his actual name."
Akechi wasn't all that surprised. "You said Sae-san and Xenos are stopping by soon. Xenos and his bodyguard can do the job while you're inside the palace." His expression changed ever so slightly. "Still, going into my palace is not appreciated."
There it was again. Akechi was going to keep telling the group he didn't want them to meddle in his palace. Cake needed someone to help him but Akechi said the exact opposite.
"We're almost done," said Ryuji. "No point in stopping now."
"If you're worried about Shido's allies, then it would be better to watch their movement instead of being in my palace. Nothing is going to change even if you take my treasure."
"We won't know until we do it," Morgana told him.
"I'm a Persona user…" Akechi reasoned. "I won't change like your other targets."
Futaba wasn't so sure about that. She gained her Persona because her heart was stolen. She truly was a unique case because she didn't confess to anything. She just became a better person. Akechi might not confess to the crimes he had done like their other targets, but that didn't mean he wouldn't feel any sort or regret or try to make amends. The palace forced her to rethink about her opinion about Akechi. He was the one who ended her mother's life but he was very much a victim like anyone else associated with Shido.
"…And who's to say I won't run away once you finish getting these men off my back? I can run away and never atone for the crimes I committed."
"You won't," Akira said simply. "I trust you."
Akechi's eyes widened. He was far from impressed. "Akira-kun, you're too trusting."
"And you need to trust in us more," the raven haired teen corrected. "It's not like we would let you out of our sights after we change your heart. We wouldn't want anything to happen to you in that time frame."
You mean you're worried about me doing something drastic like offing myself. The detective thought to himself darkly.
"Akira, I don't think we'll be having you interrogate Akechi-kun when he does have his change of heart," Makoto told her leader.
"Wait, what?"
"I have a feeling you'll spend more time flirting with our target instead of helping him."
"Huh? I would never-."
The Phantom Thieves and Akechi agreed to Makoto's reasoning. The brunette tried to keep his heart from missing any more beats. The thought of Akira being in close proximity of him made him nervous. He would rather have the other thieves interrogate him after the treasure was stolen instead of being alone with Akira and have him do something they would both end up regretting.
Akira puffed his cheeks. He hoped at least one person would back him up but no one was buying it.
"Man…so much for having my back," Akira said while letting out an exaggerated sigh. "Okay, we need to start preparing. For safety reasons, I'll need you to go back upstairs, Akechi…at least until Xenos arrives."
Akechi opened his mouth to protest but Akira wasn't done talking.
"Ryuji, can you look after Akechi while we start the planning?"
Ryuji's eyes widened in terror. "Huh?! You want me to talk to him?"
Akira gave him a look. The blond realized Akira was still going to hold him for calling him out last night. His friend knew he needed to calm down, but because he wasn't used to Ryuji being reasonable, he would put Ryuji in a situation he wasn't used to. If Makoto was the main reason Akechi had a panic attack, Ryuji feared he would be the one to cause a breakdown if he wasn't careful with his words.
Plus, Akira implied that Ryuji didn't need to be around for the plan. He would be told when they were inside the palace.
"Man…why are you like this, Akira?" Ryuji asked in an annoyed tone. "Alright, guess we gotta do what our leader wants."
Akechi flinched. Ryuji spoke as if he was still part of the Phantom Thieves. Surely, they weren't thinking he was still a thief after their betrayal. The detective could only nod his head in agreement.
Akira's words were absolute and the detective had no choice in the matter. Akechi felt awkward being left alone with Akira's best friend. This was the one guy he couldn't stand. He was reckless. He was aggressive. He never used his brain. He was everything Akira wasn't and he couldn't stand him. Yet, he was there when Akira saved him from the perverted bastard. The least he could do was remain pleasant in his presence. Too bad Ryuji didn't think the same way.
"You are more trouble than you are worth," Ryuji told him bluntly.
"I apologize for giving Akira-kun trouble," Akechi fired back. So much for being pleasant…
Ryuji kept his temper in check. He did not need to start a fight with the detective. Hell, he saw that Akechi was putting up a wall between him and everyone else.
"I hope you know that while I appreciate the help yesterday, I do not appreciate you and the Phantom Thieves in my palace," Akechi continued. "I do hope you know that."
"Believe me, I know. Besides Akira, we don't want to be in there," Ryuji told him. "Then again, your palace is the opposite what I expected."
"Oh?"
Ryuji didn't want to admit he felt sorry for the guy. He already felt that emotion back in Shido's Palace but seeing the mistreatment Akechi had suffered at the end of adults and children alike was too much for anyone to bear. If Ryuji was in that same situation he would have lost it a long time ago. The fact Akechi could still function showed how strong he was.
"Your shadow is hella nice."
Akechi glared at Ryuji as a response. "That shadow isn't even close to being me."
The detective wasn't fooling anyone. A shadow was the true self. His shadow reflected everything he was underneath the fake masks he wore.
"I thought your shadow would be as despicable as your father but it's too much like Futaba's shadow," Ryuji admitted. "Your shadow told me a lot of things about you."
Akechi's eyes widened. "O-Oh…"
"You didn't have to hide that you think I'm an idiot. I already know."
Oh, that's what you meant. Akechi grumbled to himself. "Oh…"
Ryuji felt Akechi was closing up again after getting his attention. The blond had to remind himself he was doing this for Akira. He also remembered that Cake had asked if he and the other Phantom Thieves would give Akechi a chance to be a part of their group. It wasn't in Cake's right to ask but Ryuji found it hard to refuse the cute shadow. He felt that Futaba and Haru were the only ones who didn't deserve to respect Akechi like the rest of the group. Still, seeing how much Akira loved Akechi and how Akechi did in fact suffer like the rest of him, he needed to try.
"I will never understand why our leader has taken a liking to you," Ryuji began.
"I wonder why too…" Akechi agreed.
"…He was really upset when he thought you died back in Shido's Palace."
"…So I heard…"
A pause. Ryuji needed to touch on a more delicate subject that was more personal. Since it involved Akira, Akechi did need to know.
"Akira is really good at keeping his feelings to himself. I felt…no we all felt it. We all felt Akira's suffering. We couldn't do anything about it. He pretended like nothing was wrong and kept pressing forward but he didn't let anyone in." Ryuji glared at Akechi. "Then you show up again and pretend that didn't happen and now Akira is making us go through your stupid palace!"
"Akira-kun is a fool," Akechi said simply. "He gains nothing from my palace."
Ryuji thought so too but…
"…He sees something we don't," Ryuji told him. "We might not be able to see what he sees but he gave us a reason to believe that stealing your heart will be worth the trip."
"I doubt it…"
Ryuji wanted to speak up but Akechi decided to continue.
"Akira-kun is putting you all in an unnecessary dangerous situation. Even if my heart is changed, those men will find me. I already signed the contract-."
"We got it back."
"…Idiot. It's only a copy."
"So? We can use that to incriminate them."
"That's…"
"Look, Akechi," Ryuji interrupted. "The situation you are in sucks. We know that. We may all not like you but we all agreed your situation is something we can't ignore. Our leader is going to make sure you're safe. We can't stop him so all we can do is support him."
"…I don't understand."
There were a lot of things the detective didn't understand. Cake showed that Akechi was rather oblivious to how positive emotions worked. He was only shown despair and hate and hopelessness and every negative emotion in between. Friendship, trust and love were all so foreign concepts to Akechi. Cake knew what they were but his host could not hope to understand in his current state of mind.
"…Once I learned what those slimy adults wanted to do to you…I really can't ignore you," Ryuji murmured, catching Akechi's attention. "Someone I know…she was in a similar situation too. I couldn't do anything for her while that scumbag teacher continued to harass her. Because of the Metaverse, she was finally able to find peace with herself."
"…Are you talking about Takamaki-san?"
Ryuji was the one who looked at Akechi confused before he realized where this was going.
"…You really like her."
"We're just friends!" Ryuji snapped adamantly. Akechi couldn't help but smirk. Now who wasn't being honest with himself? "A-Anyway…you're going through something similar if not worse. Akira and I witnessed what happened to Ann and we can't let it happen to you…so uh…" Ryuji groaned. Why did Ann have to be brought up? "A-All I'm saying is that you should let Akira help you. He's doing so much for you…more than any of us…"
Akechi should be thrilled that Akira's attention was to him. He wasn't though. A part of him resented Akira pitying him enough to save him multiple times. He had always been alone. Why did he need help now?
Ryuji said all he needed to. Now, he waited to see how Akechi would respond. Unfortunately, Akechi still needed to absorb the information given to him. He needed to be alone.
"…We'll update you on what we're going to do," Ryuji said. "Don't try running off on us again when those bastards are looking for you."
"…They probably know where I am…" Akechi admitted. "I assume you're going to continue going into my palace despite that?"
The silence was enough of an answer. Akechi sighed in defeat. He couldn't get them to stop prying deep into his heart. Soon, he would have a change of heart and he wouldn't know how to react. The Phantom Thieves should know that he might act emotional. They might be banking on him to change like Futaba. It was impossible to tell.
"You'll have a clearer mind when we take your treasure. Your shadow is giving us easy access if we can get rid of that bastard in your palace."
Akechi didn't need to be told who exactly Ryuji was referring to. His shadow sounded like a naïve fool trusting the first person willing to help him out of this hellhole.
"Hopefully, you'll all know when to call it quits when it turns out you can't kill that cognitive," Akechi snarked before he had a chance to think about what he said.
Ryuji frowned. "Come on, man! That bastard is only as powerful as how you see it as. I know some Metaverse stuff so at least have faith that we can kick his ass!"
Easier said than done. Dealing with Shido was hopeless…especially when no one wanted him to be judged for his crimes. It was almost like Akechi's original plan of exposing himself as a bastard child held more weight than a change of heart…
"If your resolve is strong enough…then maybe you can get rid of him…" Akechi finally said.
Ryuji's smile worried the detective. It wasn't every day the delinquent showered him with a bright one.
"Dude, you just gave us the permission. We're going to kick Shido's ass again and you're going to like it."
Before Ryuji left him alone, he swore he heard the older teen chuckle. It sounded rather genuine. He needed to be true to his feelings for once and laugh more often. It would do him better with the thieves in the long run.
Alas, the Phantom Thieves were too late when it came to Cake. In the shadows, Devil Joker watched in frustration as Shido forced Cake out of the mansion. The Phantom Thieves were supposed to help the host in order to prevent Cake from being harmed by his father. The only change was that the clock stayed at one day instead of messing up and showing zero days left. This should be enough time for the Phantom Thieves to create a miracle. But a miracle would be difficult if Cake was in Cognitive Shido's possession.
Cake felt Devil's presence but refused to give away that he knew. Shido wanted to kill the demon tempting his son, but even on this glorious day he couldn't find him. Even if Shido learned that Devil was hiding in the tree and set it on fire, it didn't mean that he triumphed over his enemy. He couldn't fight Shido on his own without the Phantom Thieves. A cognitive wasn't supposed to feel emotions but Devil's heart sank seeing how defeated the innocent shadow looked. The outfit that Shido forced Cake in didn't suit him in retrospect. What was the point of getting married to someone who didn't love him with all of his heart? Why force this on him?
"Dammit…Goro…" Devil cursed to himself. If only he was back to full strength would he not need to leave Cake to his fate. He needed the Phantom Thieves and he needed them now. Once Shido and the angels were a good distance, Devil slipped away from their grasp. The Phantom Thieves would arrive at the entrance. There was no need for them to head to the mansion.
Sae arrived with Xenos and his bodyguard Momiji just as Ryuji came down the stairs. They passed by Sojiro on the way and saw him moping about something. It concerned the thieves so something must have happened.
"Goro is okay?!" Xenos couldn't help but ask the moment he showed up at the café. "Can I see him?!"
"You can after we leave," Akira told him. "We just wanted to fill you in on what is going on and if you'll help."
"He will even if he shouldn't," Momiji responded darkly. "He could probably be a Phantom Thief too with how kind he is."
Momiji tried to be harsh and critical but there was praise with his words.
"…So…Akechi-kun is upstairs…" Sae mumbled. "How is he?"
"Terrible," Akira answered honestly. "When we finish the palace, he'll be able to communicate better. It's just a precaution."
Makoto frowned seeing how worried her sister looked. It made sense. Sae did care for Akechi despite learning of his betrayal. She just wished this rivalry wasn't so one-sided.
"Hopefully, Akechi-kun will talk to you while we're in his palace," Makoto told her sister. "Keeping his mind distracted would yield better results…"
Xenos was rather impatient. He wanted to speak to his old friend immediately. However, he needed to know what had transpired. The Metaverse conversation confused him but he accepted it as if it was fact. Akira still kept his eyes on Xenos. It felt so convenient for Akechi to have a friend in the workforce but not talk about it.
"Will we be sucked in too if we stay in the café?" Xenos questioned.
Akira nodded his head. "I know you just arrived but when we go back into the Metaverse, being outside would be optimal. Once we're gone, you can come back in."
Either way, Akechi was going to be interrogated whether he liked it or not. The raven haired male believed that the former Phantom Thief got along well with Sae to not have an episode while they were gone and if Xenos was a good friend like claimed, he should be at ease with him. Overall, Akechi being around those he trusted at work could do him justice.
Sae wanted to speak to Makoto about something pertaining to her former partner. Any dialogue about the detective would have to wait. They needed to get into the palace now.
"Sis, I'm sorry for calling you last minute…"
"No, it's fine. I need to speak with Akechi-kun on this matter anyway."
Xenos needed to be dragged out of the café by Momiji after being told he needed to be outside to not get pulled in. Akira hoped they could finish this quickly. The last thing they needed was those slimy criminals coming in when they're gone and taking Akechi away by force. Four people should be enough…right?
The first thing the Phantom Thieves noticed when they entered the Metaverse was the smell of ash in the air. Akechi had calmed down in the real world but that didn't reflect his palace in the slightest. In fact, everything was set on fire specifically the tree that housed Devil Joker. The Phantom Thieves stared at the flames from the entrance of the palace in horror.
"Holy shit!" Skull shouted. "The tree's on fire!"
"And not just the tree…" Mona stated as he pointed to the clock. "Look at the clock."
The clock tower had a big fat one in the center now. When the clock went out of control yesterday, the number shifted between zero, one and two. Now, the number stabilized but this didn't print a pretty picture. After all, the tree and what little green the palace had was up in flames. The only untouched place was the church at the very top but the fact that it was in one piece in comparison to everything else was a bad sign.
"This is terrible!" Noire exclaimed.
"Did Shido do this?" Oracle wondered out loud.
Mentioning Shido only caused Joker to prioritize the shadow of the palace.
"Cake!" Joker abruptly shouted. He wanted to rush off to the mansion and check up on Cake. Surely, the young priest was in one piece. Cognitive Shido wouldn't have killed his son, right?"
"Joker!" Queen called out. "Don't go rushing in there. We need to find a path that hasn't been burned."
Queen was right. Because of the change in cognitive, the route they originally secured might have been destroyed. It's not that Cognitive Shido did it because the Phantom Thieves meddled in his plan. Rather, that mad man was doing all in his power to find Devil Joker.
Joker opened his mouth to protest but knew it was useless to argue with her. He looked toward Oracle and waited for her to pinpoint a good area to start running toward.
"Hmm…a lot of the paths are blocked off…" Oracle mumbled while scanning. "There aren't any angels on patrol but all the enemies are in the church…"
"You're talking about the keys, correct?" Fox questioned.
Oracle nodded her head. "Three of the four keys are in the church. Cake has two of them so he's up there now."
"And the last one?"
Before Oracle could answer, a malevolent voice called.
"I have the last key but it isn't going to do shit if you're too late."
Devil's voice caught the thieves off guard. Joker clearly didn't speak so it was the other one. However, he was nowhere to be found except ahead. The Phantom Thieves hurried over to the first area to find Cognitive Joker waiting for them. The decay showed even here. Signs of life all but vanished and Devil was sitting on a small mountain of angel corpses. His expression was far from pleased with their arrival. He twirled his knife impatiently above one of the corpses.
"Yo, what the hell happened?!" Skull questioned. "Everything was cool yesterday!"
"I thought you said you would help the host," Devil accused.
Joker was prepared for this. "We saved him. Unless we can change his heart, those men will come back."
"…Well, I guess that explains the clock going back to normal…not like it matters. That old bastard took Goro to the church already."
That made no sense! If Akechi was in safe hands in the real world, why was his shadow in danger? Was this the equivalent to other shadows getting ready to protect their treasure?
"Akechi-kun must still believe he isn't safe," Queen inquired.
"Even though Sojiro, your sister and Akechi-kun's friend are watching him?" Oracle questioned.
"Just because he's physically safe with them doesn't mean he thinks he's safe," Mona explained. "We can tell him that we won't let anything happen but given his cognition, he isn't going to believe it."
And that's why Akechi needed his heart to be changed. Besides regaining the strength to stand up to the adults who abused him, it would allow him to find peace with himself. The trauma Akechi had gone through couldn't be erased but he needed to see the present and the future instead of letting the past drag him down.
But he also needed to atone for his crimes. It would be difficult to prove any Metaverse crime but if he didn't come clean, he would never be free from his corrupt father.
"How much time do we have left?" Joker asked his cognitive self.
"Not that much. That old man is planning something, but I can't get near the church without assistance." Devil Joker smirked. "Guess I'll be tagging along with you guys. Don't worry, I won't impersonate your leader again."
Joker rolled his eyes. Really, why did Akechi have to think he was this cocky? The Phantom Thieves remained cautious of Cognitive Joker. He claimed that he wouldn't pull a stupid stunt again but they had no proof he would. The raven haired thief really didn't want to watch over his doppelganger…but Cake was their number one priority. They needed to confront Shido. Hopefully, they would be able to damage him this time with three of the four keys in their possession.
Being under house arrest wasn't how Akechi planned on spending the day. Sae and Xenos arrived soon to speak with him. Akechi had a better idea on what the Phantom Thieves hoped to accomplish by changing his heart. On the surface, Akechi's involvement with the case against Shido didn't seem all that effective. However, a combination of Akechi's testimony, the contract as well as other evidence that Akechi had hidden of all of Shido's associates, the Phantom Thieves could not only extend the amount of time they had to complete Mementos but after everything was said and done, the specific people who were still causing problems would be taken down swiftly. It really did rest on Akechi and the detective did have the information. Shido's men had taken his laptop, his phone and his thumb drive. Akira and Ryuji could only retrieve his phone. Akechi chuckled, wondering if those corrupt adults thought they had all the data to keep them from being incriminated. He had no intention of telling anyone where the incriminating evidence was but he put it where no one would even consider searching. A part of Akechi feared that they might find out soon enough but another part of him couldn't contain his excitement. As hesitant as he was now, the change of heart might make him confident enough to reveal it.
If Akira-kun is banking on something positive to come from my change of heart, he's putting too much faith in me. Akechi thought to himself. The detective had to stay in Akira's attic while the group finished his palace up. Yusuke already gave the detective the calling card. They didn't secure a path to the treasure so they knew the risks this would take. It was why Akechi told them he would wait until one of them returned to the real world to tell him about securing a path to his treasure before reading it.
While he wasn't allowed to go downstairs (unless he needed to use the restroom), Akechi was allowed to do whatever he wanted in Akira's room. Akira had books he could read to keep his mind occupied. Despite that he found himself lying on Akira's bed and curling up into a ball. He allowed himself to feel at ease because he was inside Café Leblanc. If it weren't for this place, he might have freaked out a while ago.
"This place is like a sanctuary," mumbled the detective, "I wonder how Akira-kun makes me feel at ease here…"
If Akechi dove deep into his heart, he would find the answer. He didn't want an answer though. If he had an answer, Akechi felt he wouldn't be able to handle it. He chuckled nervously to himself thinking how cowardly he was after all of this time.
"Akira-kun…"
Even saying his name calmed him down. A small smile slowly started to appear. His mind was starting to wander again.
"Daydreaming as always. What an incompetent son you are proving to be."
Akechi shot up from the bed hearing a familiar voice. He looked toward the stairs and realized no one was there. Was he imagining it?
"Foolish boy. You really think you're safe from me?"
He wasn't hearing things. Akechi forgot to breathe, knowing who was talking to him. He had to blink a few times to see a figure standing before him. His eyes widened as the first reaction was to grab a weapon to defend himself. Alas, he was too weak to do so.
"You really think I'm going to allow you to have those filthy rats challenge me while you stay here peacefully?"
Akechi shook his head as he regained the strength to speak. "…You're not real, Shido-san…"
The Shido he knew in the real world had a change of heart and was taken away from the public eye. This Shido was only a cognitive of how he saw his father in his mind. Why now of all times was this man causing him issues?
The detective knew this but Cognitive Shido refused to fade from his mind. A power Akechi had never felt before radiated from the cognitive. He shivered as if the room's temperature decreased.
"You don't believe those words," Cognitive Shido said. "I am as real as you want me to be. I am in control of your life."
"No…" Akechi mumbled. He flinched feeling a migraine suddenly hit. He clutched his head in pain.
"Even now, you cannot even hope of getting rid of me. You are still my puppet and I will make sure you know this."
The room started to shake. Akechi recognized this feeling. Whenever he entered the Metaverse, the area around him would change before reverting back to normal. Why was it happening now?
"W-What is going on?" Akechi asked weakly.
Cognitive Shido returned a sinister smile as a response. Shades of purple plastered the room. Staring at Shido made the detective tired. He attempted to keep his eyes open but sleep started to overtake him.
"You will find out soon enough, my puppet."
Akechi failed to notice the strange look the cognitive version of his father gave him before passing out on Akira's bed. Cognitive Shido approached his son and lifted him off the bed. If he was supposed to be a figment of his imagination, how was he able to interact with him?
"You and your shadow will be the end of the Phantom Thieves and allow the world into a state of ruin."