Spectra (Ryuji x OC)

30 • Shido's Boat

12/16 After School

I jumped down and landed in front of the two Shadows. Everyone looked at me in surprise but I avoided looking them in the eyes.

"Yuki!" They shouted.

"What are you doing?" Skull asked.

"I'm sorry. He has my shadow captive, that's what... that's why I was so distant. I have to listen to him if I want to live. But don't hold back"

"What? I thought you would always have your Shadow, no matter what happens"

I shook my head. "My Shadow can still die. Before she was only injured, the guy in the black mask made sure she'd survive. If one of us dies so does the other"

"We don't want to fight you," Queen said.

"I'm not allowed to go easy. So you can't either"

They didn't go easy, which made me smile on the inside. They used my electricity weakness against me, weakening me, that's when Akechi stepped in.

"Yuki, how about you try two for two?"

I looked over at him. "No"

As soon as the word came from my mouth a sharp pain erupted in my chest, making me fall to my knees with a hand clutching my chest.

"Fine!" I shout out in pain, my eyes firmly shut. "Dove, Raven, attack"

My eyes snapped open, a bright light shining from them. Some shadows appeared around my feet, floating around me harmlessly.

"She can use two Personas at once?" Queen asks breathlessly.

"That should be impossible!" Mona yells. "No one has enough power to handle two at once"

"Why hasn't she done that before?" Fox questions.

"Because it makes me weaker, more vulnerable to attacks," I answer.

Even with my two Personas they still managed to knock me down. I was now standing in sort of a side lunge, my knee on the ground, one of my hands down on the ground to help support myself. I was weak.

"Stand aside!" Akechi ordered me, then he looked at Joker. "I wouldn't give up my chance to massacre you with my own two hands!"

"Akechi-!"

Akechi grabbed my arm and threw me to the side. I rolled to the side, out of the way of the fight. I watched as the group defeated Akechi twice, once while he had Robin Hood as his Persona, second when he had Loki as his Persona. Akechi didn't just have two Personas, he was the Persona user in the black mask.

"You ready to call it quits?" Skull asks.

"I know... I've had enough," Akechi said. "You're so lucky. Lucky to be surrounded... by teammates who acknowledge you. And once Shido confesses his crimes, you'll all be heroes. As for me, people will find out my past deductions were just charade. My fame and trust will vanish"

"I see," Mona says. "So you were turning people psychotic, then solving the cases yourself. And you did that by joining forces with Shido"

"In the end... I couldn't be special"

"Dude, you're more than special..." Skull said.

"It pains me to admit, but your wit and strength far exceeds ours. We only defeated you by teaming up. I was honestly... envious of your natural ability. It was frustrating to see how much my sister trusted you," Queen said.

"I have no intention of forgiving you for what you did to my father, but... I sympathize with you," Noir said. "I wholeheartedly understand wanting to get back at the adults who took from you..."

"But when you gained the power to fulfill that desire, you only used it for your own self benefit," Fox said.

"If you have the ability to use multiple Personas, you probably have the same talents as Joker. But because you went through life alone, the power you awakened was fuelled by lies and hate..." Oracle says. "Still, you thought that was enough, right? That part I totally get"

"You excelled at everything over us... yet that was the one thing you lacked"

"All right, lets go back and get that callin' card ready!" Skull said. "We're gonna take Shido down. What're you gonna do?"

"It'd be a problem if you kept getting in our way. Wanna come along and help us settle things?" Panther asks.

"Are you all idiots?" Akechi asks. "You should get rid of me... if you don't want me getting in your way"

"You all are truly beyond my comprehension," Akechi's voice said, but it didn't come from Akechi's mouth.

"Akechi?!" Skull asks, looking at another Akechi who walked over to the Akechi kneeling on the ground.

"Another one!? Wait, is he..." Fox drifted off.

"That's... Shido's cognitive version of Akechi!" Mona says.

Cognitive Akechi chuckled and pulled out a gun, aiming it at Akechi. "I'll deal with the rest of you later. Captain Shido's orders... he has no need for losers. Well, this just moved the plan up a little. He was going to get rid of you after the election anyway"

"What!?" Akechi asks.

"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 for once? Oh by the way, the captain says it's time you receive retribution for causing the mental shutdowns"

"What the hell, man!? That bastard's the one who put him up to it!" Skull shouts.

Akechi stood up with a 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 kill me... sounds like something he'd do"

"That's right. I'll do anything," Cognitive Akechi says. "But look at yourself. You're the true puppet. You wanted to be acknowledged, didn't you? To be loved? You've been nothing but a puppet from the very beginning"

More Shadows appeared, their guns aimed at Akechi. I weakly pushed myself up as Cognitive Akechi spoke again.

"You know what? I'll let someone volunteer to take his place. Who knows, you might delay his death. You guys are all about doing things for others, aren't you? 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. Here, I'll give you one last chance. Shoot them"

"Hehe, I was such a fool," Akechi said, pulling out his own gun, aiming it at the others.

"Yes... that's the you our captain wishes to see"

"Don't misunderstand. You're the one who's going to disappear!"

Akechi spun and shot Cognitive Akechi, Cognitive Akechi shooting him at the same time. Then Akechi grabbed my arm, shoving me over to the group. I ended up in Skull's arms just as Akechi shot the button that sealed us off from the Shadows as well as himself.

I stepped out of Skull's arms and leaned against the metal door. "Akechi-"

"Yuki, I'm sorry," he cut me off. "I couldn't see the truth. I was-am broken"

"We're all broken. That's how the light gets in. Akechi, I understand the wanting to get revenge on those who ruined your life"

"I know," he paused, coughing. "We were more alike than you probably wanted to believe. That's why I was drawn to you... why I had started to like you. I thought you were someone who could love me"

I looked down at the ground and remained silent. I leaned my forehead against the cold door with a sigh. "If things had gone differently... I'm sure it could've turned out that way. I'm sorry"

"Don't be. Thank you, thank you all, for showing me what I was too blind to see before"