Yesterday February, Today January

Nice to Meet You, Again

"Akechi-kun? Do you have everything you need?"

Akechi poured water over his body. The wound in his side was beginning to clot nicely. He was lucky the Metaverse didn't really have bullets, huh? No need for surgery. The dried, sticky blood began to wash down the drain on the floor of the bathhouse.

"I'm fine! Thank you," Akechi called to the woman's voice outside the room.

Akechi, after his dramatic "sacrifice" saving Joker and his friends, left the Metaverse. It really was as simple as that. Shido and all his connections, research, and psientists at his disposal really came in handy. Akechi could come and go from palaces as he pleased by using certain items crafted for him. Made assassinations easy, bypassing most security. Unfortunately, he still got shot on his way out. The wound wasn't life threatening if he took care of it...he thought.

Now, Akechi was in hiding. If everyone thought he was dead, then he wouldn't have to go to prison, and be dragged down by Shido's constant confessions. He still had to retrieve his glove from Amamiya--and destroy him once and for all. Hah, perhaps he could just kill Amamiya, and then kill himself when it was all over. Yes, bliss.

There were so many people he owed debts to. It sickened him, but he had to repay them. In his mind, he wasn't evil at all. Sure, he knew he was a murderer, sadist, manipulative, and completely emotionally unstable, but it didn't mean he was evil. Shido was evil. Akechi was just. Justice was paying back Shido and the rest of society for what they did to his mother. Even if it meant becoming a complete monster, Akechi had always been willing to do so to uphold his own justice.

Being needed is nice too.

Akechi growled and poured more water over his head. He didn't need people. He didn't need anyone. He needed to pay back his debts and die.

The Phantom Thieves stole his victory over Shido away from him. Then, after that whole mess, he woke up in Maruki's bullshit reality and had to deal with all of that too.

Now it was December all over again, and Akechi had stayed at a trauma shelter his mother went to when he was a child. These people were the kind worth preserving, Akechi thought. They chose with their own hearts to help those in need, like he and his mother, without the need of the Phantom Thieves changing them or Maruki controlling them.

Akechi finished his shallow bath (he couldn't soak with such a bad wound) and dressed in a yukata the employees gave him while they washed his clothes. They didn't ask how he got injured, but he knew the employees were making a fuss amongst themselves about his appearance.

Now that he was bathed, bandaged, and in fresh clothes, Akechi needed to work on his next plan of action. Before he had checked himself into the rehab center, Akechi had withdrawn every yen he possessed as cash. A suspicious move, for sure, but it was better than a dead man constantly making debit card purchases. He had limited options, but the police were so caught up with Shido and the Phantom Thieves, he knew he could probably fly under the radar.

Next was a place to stay long term. He only planned to stay at the rehab center until the beginning of the new year. He couldn't stay at the rehab center longer for a variety of factors, the main one being he didn't want to bring any danger to the owners or employees. If one of the people tied to Shido came looking for him, many people would be caught in collateral.

Damn. Akechi really had no one. He couldn't afford rent, an internet cafe would be too conspicuous, and a hotel would deplete his funds within a few weeks.

Wait. What about Y/N?

Akechi wasn't sure what sort of life Y/N was living outside of Maruki's reality. It wouldn't hurt to do some digging, though. He was used to tracking people down; finding a woman with a first and last name he knew very well, as well as her alternate reality college seemed like an incredible lead. He had solved cases more difficult.