Spectra (Ryuji x OC)

31 • Shido's Boat

12/17 After School

Futaba decided on how we would send the calling card to Shido. She wanted to do something everyone would see, a live broadcast on all the public tv screens. Our voices were edited so no one could identify us and we were in our Phantom Thieves outfits.

"What is up everybody!" Skull says.

"We are the ones you all know as the Phantom Thieves," Fox says.

"And all of us are alive and kickin'. But the shitty guys in power, they've been manipulating information to try and hide the truth"

"So, before we appropriate our next target, we would like to first borrow your time!" Panther said.

"The recent scandals of psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns, these weren't caused by unknown reasons. One man is behind every single instance, simply to satiate his own greed," Mona explained.

"That man was afraid his crimes would be exposed so he put the blame on us. He even manipulated the police for that"

"We only steal the hearts of criminals. This asshole tried to pin what he did on us," Skull said. "The identity of the cowering man is-"

He was cut off when the transmission was cut out. I could imagine Futaba smirking at her computer, laughing to herself as she easily got control back to the program.

"The man behind it all is a current cabinet member, of all things. Masayoshi Shida," Mona says.

"Everything that guy says is a lie," Panther says. "Proof of that..." she paused as the camera showed us, our bodies shadowed with the spotlight shining from behind us. "All of us are alive and kicking. I'm sure the people investigating us can tell wether this is a lie or not. Shido himself will soon confess all the crimes he committed"

"We are not gonna sit back and watch some crook wreck this country just cause of his goddamn ego. Ain't that right, leader?" Skull asks.

The camera zoomed in on Joker's face. Joker stepped forward so you could see part of his face, his eyes and the mask. "Yes, before that happens we will take this country"

The transmission was turned off and we all went to leave. I was about to but Skull stopped me, grabbing hold of my hand.

"Wait, Yuki, I want to talk to you"

"What is it?" I ask.

"I couldn't save you. I'm sorry. But I do love you. So please, don't leave me"

"Didn't you agree to us being just friends?"

"You can never be 'just friends' with someone you fell in love with"

My mouth remained wide open for a second but I finally managed to close it. "Can we talk about this later? When we aren't about to take down someone as powerful as Shido?"

He was silent for a second, then he sighed. "All right. I've waited this long," he muttered.

12/18 After School

After we fought against Shadow Shido, winning the battle, Shadow Shido vanished, falling to the ground in pain. The Palace then started to shake and explode.

"We haven't stolen the treasure, what's going on?" Panther asked.

"I should've seen this coming, especially from a man like Shido," I say. "Something must've happened to him in the real world, causing his Palace to come crashing down with us inside of it to keep us from stealing his heart"

"We'll talk later, let's grab the Treasure and run!" Mona said.

We did just as he had said, nearly getting lost on the way out. Water started to flood the ship, making it more difficult for us to find a way out. We made it outside and spotted a lifeboat, but it was far away and at a very steep angle, since the boat was tipping backwards.

"We just gotta get there," Skull said.

"It's too far," Fox told him. "We won't reach it in time"

"I got this. Hang tight. I'll nab the boat. It's now or never"

Skull ran down the side of the building, jumping across the water, then running up the front of the boat to reach the switch that would drop the boat. He grabbed it, hanging from it while the boat swung around and lowered in front of us.

"Yes!" Some of us cheered, all of us climbing into the boat, Skull giving us a thumb's up.

We moved towards where Skull was hanging, but there was an explosion underneath where he was and when the smoke was gone so was he. We all stared in shock.

"Ryuji!" Ann shouted.

"No," I whispered.

We went back to the real world, Ann, Futaba and I crying over Ryuji's death. The others had solemn looks on their faces. The rain, that must've started while we were in the Palace, seemed to stop all at once as we stood there.

"Maaaan, that was close..." a familiar voice said.

Our heads snapped towards the voice and we all saw Ryuji walking towards us.

"For real though, why do Palaces gotta explode so much? Can't they disappear normally? ... what?"

We all crowded around him. "Didn't you... die?" Haru asks.

"I got blasted out from the explosion... when I woke up, I was lyin' on the grass... I mean, ain't I alive?"

Ann slapped him, mad that he made us all think that he was dead, then I slapped him.

"I thought at least you'd go easy on me, Yuki," he grumbled.

As he was rubbing his cheek, trying to lessen the pain of being slapped twice, I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him forwards. He gasped when his lips landed on mine.

"I'm feeling a bit hungry," Yusuke said, him and the others standing to the side a bit, giving Ryuji and I some space.

"Why don't we stop by somewhere before going home?" Haru suggests.

"Then I want sautéed fois gras!" Futaba announces.

"We're in reality right now, you know," Makoto tells her with a chuckle.

They left, leaving Ryuji and I alone. I pulled away, the both of us breathing heavily, our faces still close together.

"I love you," I whispered.

"Huh?"

"I said I lo-"

"W-wait! I heard you!" He smiled widely when he realized what I had said.

I fell to my knees in a puddle but he knelt in front of me, putting a hand on my cheek. I put a hand over his and leaned my forehead against his.

"I thought I wasn't going to be able to tell you that," I mumble. "I thought I was going to be left alone again"

"Hey, the others would never just ignore you. If anything were to happen to me they'd have your back"