Dark Half {Persona 5}

Chapter 6 - Deadline

A/N: hope you're prepared, because this chapter is where it all goes wrong! As if it could go any more wrong.. HA! Brace yourself, from this point on, nobody is safe, protagonist or not...

"Akira. You wanna tell me what's going on?" Sojiro spoke, his voice booming through downstairs LeBlanc.

Akira raised his tired eyes to his caretaker, and sighed. He didn't know what to say anymore. He was out of luck, and out of time.

"Why have you been so distant? I know a lot of it has to do with that interrogation room, but you haven't been right since your heart stopped, what, ten days ago?"

"Sorry.." Akira didn't have the energy to argue.

"That's what I'm talking about, stop apologizing for no reason!"

Akira flinched, and Sojiro sighed, reconsidering his tone.

"Look, you're not in trouble, so you have nothing to be sorry for. But clearly something's worrying you, and I want to help."

"You.. can't." Akira managed, feeling tears threatening to burst forth.

"What?"

"I said you can't. I'm sorry but you can't help. Nobody can!"

Akira then ran upstairs to his room, burying himself in his pillow as he fought down the few tears that had escaped, hoping Sojiro didn't see.

He was lost. His deadline was midnight tonight. He couldn't convince the others to go to Mementos with him, and there was no way he could go alone in his current state.

But more than that, he still couldn't take someone's life, no matter how bad a person they were. He'd done nights of endless research, finding the most horrible people he could, tossing up their lives for his friends'.

But that made him just as bad as Igor.

What can he really do..? Akira thought to himself, biting his lip so hard he could taste blood. I'm me. He's not. I'm here, in the physical world. He isn't. He can't. That's why he wants my help. He's bluffing. He can't hurt anyone here, that's why he needs me to.

"Akira..?"

...Right..?

"Akira. Hey."

Sojiro sat on the boy's bed, placing a hand gently on his back as he sighed. It was one of the few physical gestures of comfort he'd gotten from Sojiro, and that was enough to make the tears threaten to resurface.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't do anything to help. But just know that I'm always here. Without you I don't know where I'd be. You'd saved me, and Futaba, and Wakaba's memory. I've already been through almost losing a kid once, don't make me have to do it again."

Akira's eyes burned. He then curled up into a ball, back to Sojiro, and the older man stood to leave.

"I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

~~

"Akira.. it's almost midnight. What are you doing pacing like that?"

Akira stopped his pacing briefly to look at Morgana. He then immediately went back to pacing. He'd never felt so anxious in his life. While he tried with all his might to convince himself that Igor couldn't logically harm anyone in the real world if he didn't kill someone else, but the feeling still nagged at him.

And he was powerless. When he became a Phantom Thief, Akira had sworn to never be powerless again, and yet here he stood.

He wanted to scream, cry and punch something all at once, and his emotions were as confused as he was.

"Akira, please.. I'm trying to sleep. At least go downstairs if you're not going to."

Without saying a word, Akira grabbed his phone and made his way downstairs. He watched as the clock hit midnight, and he stuck his head back upstairs to check on Morgana, who's steady breathing was calming to Akira.

He had the urge to text his friends. But it was late, and they had school the following day. He didn't want to wake them.

But better they wake up then die.

With great speed Akira opened the group chat, and contemplated his words. He didn't want to raise suspicion, so he had to word things carefully.

Maybe draw attention to himself, since everyone was constantly worried about him these days anyway. Might as well go a bit further.

"Anyone still awake..?"

After a few minutes there was no response, and Akira felt like ripping his own hair out. As he moved back downstairs after checking Morgana again, his phone buzzed.

Yusuke: "Why are you texting at such a late hour?"

Futaba: "duh."

That was two. Ann still wasn't online, however, and that made him nervous.

Haru: "my apologies, I was asleep."

Makoto: "is everything alright..?"

Ryuji: "my bad dude, I was playin' games. Coulda called me if ya wanted."

Akira breathed a heavy sigh of relief, and as the others began conversing in the group chat, Akira's mind flew directly to Ann, who he rang.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

"Come on.. pick up.."

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

"Damn it, Ann.. pick up.."

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

"Oh god, please-"

"Akira..?"

"Ann?!"

"It's after midnight, what's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"I was just going to ask you that.." Akira was so relieved he didn't realize what he had said.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"N-nothing.. sorry. I'm just happy to hear your voice."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah! Sorry to ring so late, I'll let you go back to bed."

"Akira, I-"

"Bye!"

He hung up hastily, and let himself fall against the wall and slide down to the floor, eyes closing as relief washed over him.

"They're alright for how..." he muttered to himself.

Then he checked the group chat again and froze.

Makoto: Oh my god..! What is happening?!

Futaba: I've called an ambulance, they're en route to your address! Just hang on, Makoto!

Yusuke: make sure she's breathing!

Ryuji: god damn it! What's goin' on lately?!

Haru: just stay calm, Makoto.. help is on the way!

As the chat continued to blow up, Akira raised his shaking fingers to his keyboard. He sent a private message to Makoto, not trusting his voice enough to ring her.

Akira: "Makoto.. what's happened..?"

Akira could have sworn his heart had stopped again when he got the response.

Makoto: "it's Sae.. she's collapsed."