Dark Half {Persona 5}

Dark Half TEASER

Since it was sort of both responses when I asked if you wanted me to post the first two chapters, I decided to instead post a teaser of one of the later chapters I'm writing, one that gives you a bit of an idea as to why it's called "Dark Half". The chapters I was gonna post are just a pathway into becoming this, so they're not that interesting nor do they have much context in terms of the full story.

NOTE: I wrote all of this with Seether's "Breakdown" in mind. It's a powerful song. ALSO I have gone ahead with the pairing of Akira and Ann in this, simply because it's another powerful way to torture him.. I'm so evil. Enjoy! 

ALSO FOR UPDATES ON STORIES AND RESPONSES PLEASE FOLLOW MY NEW TWITTER @/GNWrites - I wanna try and get it to 100 followers! :D

Also comment your opinions, do you think it lives up to the story name?

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Ann watched as Akira stood before her in Mementos. Covered in blood. A human's blood. His eyes were no longer that steely grey that made her feel secure and safe. They had a tinge of red to them, and they were wild.

His deathly pale skin from the obvious lack of sleep he'd been suffering and the dark circles under his eyes only made him look even crazier. She couldn't believe how much he'd changed physically as well. Was she even looking at Akira? Her Akira?

He'd lost a considerable amount of weight, and no longer wore his mask in Mementos, as if it just never appeared. Probably because he could no longer hide the awful things he was doing. 

"Wh- why did you..? Akira!" Ann called out, her voice breaking as steadily as her heart.

Akira didn't answer, but just stared silently at her through dead eyes, the red-gloved hand holding the knife he'd used to kill the Mementos target shaking as he watched.

"You killed him! Is this what you've been doing?! Why you've been coming in alone?!"

Ann gasped and stepped back, tears now flowing freely down her face as a trembling hand covered her mouth. Her eyes widened, and she felt as though she could be sick at any moment. She had no idea who she was looking at.

"All those stories on the news.. were those because of you..? All those people.."

Akira continued to just stare, the jacket he donned almost sliding off his shoulders where he'd lost any muscle mass he'd built over the year of being a Phantom Thief. There was something inside his eyes that Ann could vaguely see. A hint of regret and pain. As if he was trying to scream out to her but couldn't. But Ann's own pain quickly overshadowed this fact and she clenched her fists, gloves creaking as she squeezed.

"Who are you..?" she mumbled, taking another step back as Akira tightened his grip on his knife.

"I.."

Akira managed one word, his voice raspy and tired, cracking as he spoke. His eyebrows furrowed as he broke eye contact with her, instead staring at the slowly dissipating corpse at his feet. His jaw muscles flexed as he clenched his teeth, but he didn't speak again.

"Why would you do this? We were supposed to help people! You were their savior!" Ann cried, barely able to make her voice obey her.

The rest of the Thieves behind her had not said a single word since she'd begun. They were all crying, trembling or just staring in disbelief. All of them were hurting, Ann could sense that without even looking at them. Not one of them dared interrupt her talking to Akira - she was the only one who had a hope to get through to him. But he remained unresponsive, and Ann snapped, stepping forward as she threw her hand out before her. This made Akira look up at her, and for a moment her heart stopped.

It looked like there was tears in his eyes.

Tears.

This went completely against the apathetic personality Akira had seemingly developed. But again he said nothing. Ann, infuriated, picked up a small stone and threw it with all her might at him.

"Ann.." Makoto finally spoke up, but quickly stopped again.

The stone hit Akira dead in the side of the head, and he turned it away with the force of the projectile. When he looked back, however, blood trickled down his head, despite the fact he didn't even wince at the pain.

"What did they do to you?!" Ann finally gave in to her own pain, sinking to her knees as she begged her best friend in the whole world, and the one who saved her, "What did they do to you in that interrogation room?! Please, tell us..

"We can help you, but only if you talk to us.. Damn it! This isn't the way! Whatever's going on in your head, we can fix it, together! Just don't leave me.."

"I can't do that.." Akira mumbled, turning his back to her, as if looking back at her was too much for him.

Ann's eyes widened again, and a collective gasp from the others echoed in the eerie tunnels of Mementos.

"Why not? You have to, you belong here! If you don't come back, right now," Ann gritted her teeth, rising to her feet as she steeled herself, "I'll never forgive you. I'll never be able to accept you again."

The step Akira had been about to take came to a halt suddenly. Mid-stride, the boy stood, and his shoulders shook lightly, almost as if he were crying. But Ann knew better than that. He was fooling her. He was no longer Akira Kurusu, her best friend, boyfriend and the leader of the Phantom Thieves, dedicated to saving those who were too weak to defend themselves.

Now he was just Joker. A murderer, criminal and enemy of the Thieves.

His fist clenched visibly again, and though his hands shook, he began walking briskly, calmly, further into the tunnel. Away from his friends, into the darkness. His heart had been consumed, and Ann's had been shattered.

"Don't bother coming back, Joker! You are now branded an enemy of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts!" Ann pointed to him, using her rage to keep herself from falling apart. "Next time we cross paths, it will be as foes. We will kill you if we see you again!"

As Joker disappeared completely into the darkness, he heard Ann's quiet, tearful last words to him.

"I hate you..."

~~

As Akira walked further into the darkness, away from his friends, tears flowed freely down his face, though he didn't make a sound, and his expression remained blank. He needed to do that, or he'd lose it completely.

Looking down at his bloody dagger, he remembered Igor's words, and request. He remembered the threat to his friends, their families, everyone he cared about and everyone they cared about. He couldn't go back. He had to protect them, by giving up his own innocence. If that's what it took to keep them and their hearts safe, at least until he found another way, then he would do so without question. 

Including Ann, who Akira hoped would wear her hatred like armor. She could break him down, tear him down as much as she needed to. As long as it kept her going.

You can hate me with everything you have, as long as that keeps you alright.. Akira thought to himself, wiping his tears as a blue door appeared before him, and he stepped into the Velvet Room.

Thanks so much for reading the teaser! Please comment your opinions!

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