I didn't finish last chapter but I wanted to write this one anyway.
Sunday, December 11 20XX
Third Person - Akechi
"In the end, I couldn't be special..."
His breath is ragged and he only half listens to the remarks and the comfort coming in from the opposing side. He finds himself struggling to keep himself upright; balancing on one knee and his right palm.
There are words thrown at him like 'trust' or 'sympathize' or, God forbid, 'understand'. But then, the selfish words come in; 'self-benefit' being the big one. What doesn't help is the orange haired mistake from the Isshiki side pipes in, selling some bullshit about being compared to Joker. Then back into the negative words, this time it's 'hatred'.
Akechi, completely taken aback by the responses, is at a loss for words. When there is nothing left to be said, the blonde ape on the opposite side utters some stupidity about the calling card.
"We're gonna take Shido down," the track star stretches his arm. "What're you gonna do?"
"It'd be a problem if you kept getting in the way," the easy girl pitches in. "Wanna come along and help settle things?"
"Are you all idiots?" Akechi spits. "You should get rid of me... if you don't want me getting in your way. You all..." He stops, hopelessly searching for the right words. "Are truly beyond my comparison."
Footsteps click in the hull of the ship, sounding frustrated and determined. The Phantom Thieves share a collective gasp, leading Akechi to slowly turn his head. In horror, the one labelled Skull lets out a startled: "Akechi..?"
"Another one?" The gay artist, the gay competition, sputters. "Wait... is he..?"
"That's Shido's cognitive version of Akechi!" The cat announces, confused and proud of himself at the same time.
The cognitive Akechi looks toward the floor, lets out a dark chuckle, then lifts a gun from his left hip. Black Mask Akechi just looks off to his right and heaves a sigh while the Phantom Thieves bring their guard back up. His head snapping to the right, the cognitive Akechi says in a cold monotone: "Don't worry. I'll take care of you all in a moment."
A gun clicks in place and a pair of flats rushes to the front of the Phantom Thieves. A creme colored glove holds a sleek black gun, hand raised shakily.
"Captain Shido's orders," the cognition carries on, purposefully ignoring the risen hand. "He has no need for losers. Well, this moves the plan up a little. He was planning to get rid of you after the election anyway."
"What?!" Akechi's voice cracks. It's mix of the yelling from before and pure astonishment.
"Did you truly believe you'd be spared after all the murders you undertook? Don't tell me... Were you actually feeling good about having someone rely on you? Which, by the way, the captain says it's time you receive retribution for causing the mental shutdowns."
"What the hell, man!" The blonde boy is surprised. "That bastard's the one that put him up to it!"
"Don't do it!" The girl with the gun challenges halfheartedly. Her hand is still shaking, but she's doing her best.
The real Akechi slowly pushes himself off of the ground, successfully finding the strength to chuckle. "I see... I was wondering how he'd protect himself if I used my power to tear through his Palace. Turns out you're how. So he's making a puppet to kill me. Sounds like something he'd do."
"That's right," the cognition's words are clear and hateful. "I'll do anything. But look at yourself... you're the true puppet."
"Stop!" The feminine voice from the Thieves chimes in again, followed by a deeper voice to put her gun down. It's a quiet moment, but it steals the show for a single second. That single second gives Black Mask Akechi time to process the words before the cognition stabs him with his words again.
"YOU WANTED TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED, DIDN'T YOU? TO BE LOVED? YOU'VE BEEN NOTHING BUT A PUPPET SINCE THE BEGINNING!"
The blonde boy once again verbally challenges the cognition, the sound drowned out by two rapid gunshots. One comes from the shiny gun pointed in the cognition's direction, but the shot goes wide and misses badly. The other comes from cognition's gun, the aim switched from Black Mask Akechi to the girl in the red and white.
For a moment, Akechi sees it all go the way that would make it all strangely better. He watches the bullet enter Y/N's abdomen; a splatter of crimson dotting the ground, dotting her flats, dotting the white swirls on her button up. There is no sound that comes from her mouth; only a quiet, trembling breath. He can feel his lungs burn faster than he can hear himself shout. His next thought would be scrambling to help her, but he wouldn't be able to.
But that would be ideal; he knows he isn't going to make it out of here alive. Instead, he watches a fascinating act of selflessness, an act of love.
The bullet from the cognition's gun is aimed toward Y/N's abdomen. It flies fast and unstoppable. If he wanted to, Akechi could will his feet to move and hopefully get there in time. Instead, he watches a bright blue hand swipe in front of the bullet, attached to a dark blue arm. The crimson does indeed dot Y/N's flats and the floor below her, but it isn't her body it hits.
The icy blue glove turns purple as the bullet flies through his hand. Fox- no -Yusuke's eyes widen beneath the white mask on his face. His fingers spread apart and tighten at the knuckles. This is the most pain he's ever felt in his entire life.
"NO!" Y/N shrieks as the body of stupid Kitagawa falls to his knees.
The world suddenly comes to a stop after the deafening roar of action. It isn't a long pause; maybe a few seconds before the chorus of guns loading fills all the ears in the room.
"Is there anyone else who wants to waste my GODDAMN time?!" The cognition roars. "I have no problem taking care of all of you first!" In addition to the yelling dying out, the poof of four Shadows acting as surprise back up fills the stale air.
"He's not alone!" The platinum haired girl shouts, momentarily putting her gun down. "He has Shadows too...?"
"You know what? I'll let someone volunteer to take his place. Who knows? You may delay his death."
"Damn you!"
"You guys are all about doing things for others, aren't you?" The cognition snarls. "Oh, that's JUST the same as me! I'm going to take all the blame for our captain. I'll die for him, too."
Small Niijima makes some sort of comment, summing up what's happening around them. Akechi drowns that out as his hand wavers, lifting his own gun above his hip.
"I'll give you one last chance," cognitive Akechi glances toward the Phantom Thieves, then sets back on Black Mask. "Shoot them."
A sharp laugh rises from Akechi's belly. It hurts on the way up and it hurts on the way out. "I was such a fool." He turns his gun to face Joker and clicks the trigger, letting his finger hover before making the decision.
"Yes, good!" The cognition cackles. "That's what our captain wishes to see!"
"Don't misunderstand... You're the one who's going to disappear!" In a flash, Black Mask turns on his heel and shoots the cognition directly in the side. It takes some of his own strength, but in another moment, he lifts and aims again. Glass shatters in the back by the stairwell, which leads to sirens lighting up and alarms blaring.
"The watertight bulkhead door has closed. All personnel within the partition wall, evacuate at once." That's the only voice that sounds before a thick wall slides up between the Phantom Thieves and Akechi, sealing his doom.
There's one last thing Akechi wants to see before his time runs out, and he gets to. The form of the girl he loves, tears streaming down her face. It contradicts the anger and sense of resolution in her eyes, burning brightly as she pulls her emotions under control.
Under his mask, he smiles.
"AKECHI!" In that moment, the track star becomes Ryuji; no longer a hero, but a concerned... friend.
"Hurry up and go."
"You fool," stupid Kitagawa grunts out. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"The real fools are you guys... You should have just abandoned me here a long time ago. You should have all perished... if you had tried to face these with me weighing you down."
"Akechi-kun!" Small Niijima protests.
"Let's make a deal, okay? You won't say no, will you?"
"Why at a time like this?" Y/N demands.
"Change Shido's heart... in my stead... End his crimes... Please!"
"I promise." The only words Akechi needed to hear. A smile creeps over his face, whether he realizes it or not.
On the Phantom Thieves' side, the world is quiet. There's a soft sob for on that side, but it is then covered by the shouting of the cognition; the name calling and the berating. Akechi decides he won't grin and bear it; he'll take the bull by the horns.
"So, my final enemy is a puppet version of myself. Not bad."
"AKECHI-KUN!" Okumura's daughter yells out, followed by others trying to reason with the wall in front of them.
With no more time to face what's on the other side of the wall, Goro Akechi looks the final villain, the final piece of the puzzle, in the eye. The barrel of the gun is raised, pointed directly toward the center of his head, the cognition grinning. The moment plays out slowly, seemingly taking its time as the bullet comes from the barrel, dances in the air before deciding where it'll nestle.
The world was warm a moment ago, now it feels like Akechi is standing in the snow. His toes grow cold, and the chill slowly works up his body. His knees give out, followed by his stomach slowing the riotous churning. His hands go numb, stopping the shaking. There's a crash onto the floor, followed by a rattle of something skittering on the metal. The smile remains.
~~~
"You did this? All by yourself?" There's a feminine voice coming from the kitchen, sounding proud of something done.
"I did! Look! Almost all of it! I just can't... put it on the burner. Daddy says I'm too small."
"I think your father may be right, honey. I'd hate for these little hands to get hurt. If you can find me the pan under the stove, then I think we'll be able to make some progress."
There are footsteps from the hallway of the apartment, the closing of the bedroom door behind those steps. "Something smells good. What could it be?"
A proud seven year old stands in front of the counter, barely able to see over the lip. Beside the little boy stands an older, more mature Y/N in a pair of jeans and a purple sweater. Her hand is in the drawer to her right, reaching for a wooden spoon.
"It's okonomiyaki! I did the first bit of it, then Mommy said she agreed with you, that I can't use the stove by myself, so she's helping! I think it can be lunch!"
Goro Akechi stands in the opening of the kitchen, smiling brightly at the (hair color) little boy beside Y/N. His little hands barely reach into the drawer, watching in silence as the burner is turned on to his right.
"Hey, Hikaru, why don't you ask your Dad if he needs help with anything? Maybe see if something needs to be done in the living room while I finish this." Her voice is warm and the kitchen is slowly heating up as well.
The little boy nods and turns on his heel, making his way across the modernized kitchen. Just as he does every day, Akechi gets a good luck at the boy named Hikaru. Maybe no older than seven, he looks exactly like Akechi. The hair color is Y/N's, but Hikaru's hair is stick straight and his face is an almost exact carbon copy. The heterochromia was a surprise; one a russet color and the other (eye color). Just as his birthday was; just a day after Akechi's.
"You go ahead Hikaru, into the other room. I need to speak to Mom for a second."
"Okay!" The little guy smiles, then the sound of feet pattering away fills the air for a single moment.
"Y/N, I say it every day, but you've given me the gift of pure happiness. There isn't a day in the world that goes by that I-" And suddenly, Akechi has lost his words.
"I know. I'm beyond happy to be here. Every day is like a dream..."
"A dream," Akechi repeats. The words are sour on his tongue. "A dream."
Y/N nods. "It's a beautiful one."
As she says it, the kitchen grows almost too warm for comfort. At his feet, Akechi's shoes begin to melt, and beside his left hip, the towel on the rack hits the ground and turns to a puddle. Akechi looks to Y/N, only to find her seemingly sinking. A high pitched 'help!' sounds for a second before it is no more. There is only a distant call from the other room, then the shriek is swallowed in the confusion.
Akechi's hope of a dream come true has melted in front of his eyes.
~~~
The cognition disappears, as do the Shadows from before. Akechi can hardly move his body; the bullet is lodged too far in to allow anything but thinking and breathing. His eyes are closed and forever burnt into his eyelids is the vision of his fictional wife and child.
Three...
What he wouldn't give to hold her again...
Two...
"Y/N..." The vision from before no longer burns, but instead, both his wife and son open their arms to him.
One...
His final inhale is done. He has one more thing to say, one more thing to do.
On his final exhale, he says what he should've a long time ago.
"I love you, Y/N."