Chapter Text
September 11th, 2001.
“Please don’t leave...” Ren said, amidst all the debris and fire. Akechi coughed, but didn’t look back at Ren.
How had things gotten to this point...?
It all started earlier that day. It was a nice day, and it was going to be an exceptionally good day for Ren Amamiya. For, today was the day he was planning on confessing to his coworker (and crush!), Goro Akechi, at their workplace, the World Trade Center. It was gonna be perfect… His beautiful red orbs would widen and light up as he cheerfully accepted. Ren had it all planned out in his head. It took him a while to work up the nerve, but he had all the time in the world to enjoy with Akechi once he confessed.
Ren hummed happily as he made his way to the Starbucks in the building, where he began doing work as a barista. Yes, during his lunch break, he’ll confess for sure!
Ren could hear his best friend Ryuji loudly conversing with someone from the friend group, probably Ann or Makoto. Disinterested in the conversation, he looked at Akechi, who was conversing with one of the other employees (Ren thinks that his name is Yosuke or something, but he never bothered to remember.)
Suddenly, Ryuji’s loud voice rang in the room, “Yo guys, what the eff is that?” as he pointed at the window.
Ren first glanced at Akechi, whose eyes widened as he looked out the window.
No way... It couldn’t be.
It was an airplane.
“Oh my god...” Haru said.
It was at that moment that the entire room went into a panic.
-
The plane had hit the tower. Oh my god, the plane had hit the tower. Ren jumped over the Starbucks counter and quickly ran over to where everyone else was. The building was on fire, the ceiling collapsing left and right. Some of the people were on the floor and they weren't moving. Thankfully, Akechi was okay and looked relatively unharmed. A part of the ceiling had collapsed directly on the person he was talking to earlier though. Ren thought, ‘Yikes! That’s gonna leave a mark!’ He looked at the other thieves, who looked a little worse for wear but their injuries weren’t too severe.
Morgana spoke up from Joker’s bag, “We have to do something! We have to change Osama bin Laden’s heart!”
The other thieves nodded in agreement with Morgana. Akechi, however, seemed on the fence.
Akechi said, “You wish to merely... Change his heart? Instead of killing him?”
Ryuji retorted, “Yeah, dude! We don’t kill!”
Akechi motioned to the chaos around everyone, and then to his dead friend, “Look! Yosuke is dead! He was my friend! It’s not fair! Osama shouldn’t get to live!”
Yusuke tried to calm him down, “But we shouldn’t be hasty. You’re just grieving.”
Ren finally broke his silence, “We’re changing Osama’s heart. That’s final.”
Akechi glared at him. He angrily said, “I don’t believe you. I thought you were better than this. I thought... Nevermind.”
Ren met Akechi’s gaze, “I love you.” and Akechi’s eyes widened.
Akechi turned away. Ren swore he saw tears streaming down his face as he said, “And I thought I loved you.”
“Please don’t leave...” Ren said, amidst all the debris and fire. Akechi coughed, but didn’t look back at Ren. He walked away.
Ren tried to walk after him, but Futaba shouted, “There’s no time! I’m sorry, Akira, but we have to go to the Metaverse and change Osama’s heart NOW. I just emailed him the calling card.”
-
The thieves had been tirelessly traversing through the palace of Osama’s twisted desires, taking the form of an airport. Osama’s shadow was taunting them the whole way through. After fighting many shadows, they made their way to an airplane. Futaba informed, “This plane should take us directly to Osama’s shadow.”
Akira motioned for the rest of the thieves to follow him onto the plane. Although, there was another passenger who made it there first...
It was Akechi, in his black mask outfit!
Akechi turned to face the thieves, and then his red orbs met Akira’s gray ones. “I was expecting you, Joker.”
Akira said, “Crow, we don’t have to fight. We both want to avenge those who died in this terrible tragedy.”
Akechi looked insane as he shouted, “Oh, but we do. Your thieves are still alive, while my friend died in the tower. You didn’t LOSE anyone! You have nothing to avenge! Besides, we have different ideas of vengeance. So, we HAVE to fight. The winner decides how we deal with Osama.”
It was a long fight. It was an exhausting fight. But Akira couldn’t put his morals aside, not even for the man he loved.
Eventually, Akechi fell. The plane was approaching the World Trade Center of Osama’s palace, which was where Osama was. Akira reached his hand out to Akechi. He said, “I win. Let’s change Osama bin Laden’s heart... Together.”
Akechi hesitated, and right before he could grab Akira’s hand, Futaba panicked, “Joker, I’m getting a sudden reading for multiple powerful shadows! I think Osama set up an ambush!”
Just then, the plane crashed into the palace’s tower. Before anyone could do anything, Akechi said, “I’ll distract them! Go! Face Osama!”
Akira’s eyes widened. He cried, “But what about you?! You’re still injured after our fight, you can’t take them on!”
Akechi just smiled and replied, “I love you, Akira.” and then ran headfirst into the shadow ambush. The shadows went after him, and Futaba said, “This is our only shot... We have to leave him behind. I’m sorry.”
Akira tried to hold back his tears, but he had to continue.
He had to change Osama’s heart. He couldn’t let Akechi sacrifice himself in vain. He loved him, after all.
-
Finally, it was over. Osama’s shadow admitted defeat, and Akira grabbed the treasure. There was no time to look for Akechi as the palace collapsed, however. Once the thieves left the metaverse and found themselves in front of the destroyed Twin Towers, Akira broke down and cried. The news of the Phantom Thieves changing Osama bin Laden’s heart spread across the nation after that, Osama admitted to everything on live TV and went to prison for his crimes. But Akechi...
Akira had lost Akechi in all this.
-
A few years later, Akira found himself at the place where the Twin Towers once proudly stood, which had been converted into a memorial for the victims of the tragedy. Every September 11th, he visited this place and scanned the names, looking for the name of the man who sacrificed himself so that the people who lost their lives could properly be avenged. The name of the man he loved.
He found it.
Goro Akechi.
Akira smiled sadly, tears in his eyes. He touched the name engraved on the stone. He whispered, “God bless the USA... and God bless you, Akechi.”