Spectra (Ryuji x OC)

28 • Nijiima's Casino

10/31 After School

Ryuji - Where are you? We're going into Nijima's Palace and could use your help.

Sorry, can't make it.

Ryuji - Why not?

Homework.

Ryuji - Again? Why does it seem like you're avoiding us?

I didn't answer his text. I felt bad lying to him, to my friends, but I had to. Akechi told me that I needed to stay out of this, if not there'd be consequences.

Ryuji - And now you're ignoring me? Seriously? I thought you were one of us. I guess as soon as someone better came along that was it, you didn't need us anymore.

I wanted to pick up my phone, tell him that I wanted nothing more than to kill Shadows with them, but somehow I kept myself from doing so. I turned my phone off so I wouldn't have to see the messages anymore.

11/18 After School

Ryuji - I don't know if you're going to read this or not, but we sent the calling card today. We're going to get the Treasure tomorrow after school.

11/19 After School

I tried not to think about it, but as the time passed I found myself getting more and more worried. I dropped what I was doing and ran out of the house, going directly to the Palace.

"You should rethink your decision, your life is on the line," Dove told me.

I ignored her and ran onto the giant roulette wheel on the roof as the Shadow in front of the others fell, turning back into Shadow Nijima. Skull and Fox ran off to grab the Treasure, then they came back, Skull noticing me standing in the distance.

"Spectra!"

Everyone looked at me but I felt my eyes landing on Akechi. He didn't look happy, but I didn't care what happened to me anymore, as long as I knew the others were safe.

"The investigation will now be able to proceed. The suspicions against you will be lifted," Akechi said. "This deal we made... was a great experience for me. To think that I, a detective, would act alongside the Phantom Thieves"

"Back to your real work now," Joker told him.

"Yes. And you all shall end this Phantom Thieves business... that was part of the promise, after all. Don't forget"

"What?" I ask. "I'm not giving this up, I was never apart of whatever promise you made"

"We'll discuss it later," Mona said. "We don't need to stay here any longer!"

"Huh? Enemy readings! When did they...!?" Oracle - Futaba - said. "They're gathering outside!"

"For real!? The hell's goin' on!?" Skull asks.

"We defeated the Palace ruler and even stole the Treasure, yet the Shadows are still restless," Mona said. "It doesn't make any sense... what's going on here?"

"There are more coming!? This'll be dangerous if we don't do something!" Oracle said.

"We need to go now! Those guys in black suits are almost here. We'll be done for if we get surrounded!"

"A team this large would be discovered immediately. We had best split up for our escape," Queen suggests. "Although, we'll need someone to act as a decoy... no, that's too dangerous"

"I'll do it," Joker said.

"Joker!? Are you planning on distracting them by yourself!?"

"Let him do it, Queen. He's quiet, but once his mind's made up, he's not gonna take no for an answer. I'm sure you ain't gonna die. It's you we're talking about here," Skull said, handing him the briefcase.

"Please don't do anything reckless," Noir - Haru - said.

"I'll never forgive you if you don't make it back," Panther told him.

"We still haven't fulfilled our deal, remember?" Mona asks.

"Even more are coming!" Oracle told us.

"This truly is a painfully reluctant parting..." Fox said.

"It seems we had best hurry," Akechi says.

"We'll see you later," Queen told Joker.

"I'm going with him," I say.

"You're what?!" Skull screamed.

"If he gets caught everything will be set on him. But with me there he won't have to take everything on by himself"

"You could get killed," Skull said, still the only one to disagree with me.

"So could he," I tell him, pointing at Joker standing beside me. "Yet you're not disagreeing when it comes to him"

"He might be the only one who can pull this off. His persona is different than ours, more powerful-"

"Have you not listened to me this entire time I've known you? I have two personas, I'm just as strong as he is, if not stronger because I've been fighting way longer than any of you. If anyone is going it should be me. No one knows who I am, he's known as this delinquent. He has a criminal record. If I don't show up for school the next day no one else will notice"

"Spectra," Joker spoke. "I can go"

"I know, but I won't let you go alone. The police won't go easy on you, they'll probably beat you and drug you, but they'll go a lot easier on you if they have two sources to get information from"

"We're running out of time, guys," Oracle announces, panicked.

"None of you can stop me. I'm going"

The others nodded, except for Skull, Joker and Akechi. Joker didn't want to have a say in the matter. Skull was still against me going. But I wasn't sure about Akechi, not until he spoke.

"He's right, Yuki, it's dangerous. I don't want you to possibly end up dead," Akechi told me.

I scoff. "I won't die"

He took my hand and stepped closer. I could see Skull over his shoulder, trying not to lash out and yell at Akechi for getting so close to me. I wondered why Skull didn't do anything.

"Please think this over again"

"There's no time. My mind is made up"

Joker and I ran off. We paused atop a light on the first floor above the crowd, leading the Shadows away. We ran into a Shadow, having to fight it, but quickly got back to running.

I could hear them following us in the distance, we had to hurry. We stepped through a door and Futaba told us we had to leave through a stained glass window, since the bottom floor was all blocked off.

We broke through the window, landing on the ground, but lights of police cars shone on us. We were momentarily blinded but ran when the ambush started to close in on us. We almost made it away but they managed to stop us.

"Didn't expect to find some kids. You can thank your teammate for this. You were sold out," a man told us.