lostgemini | Memory Tape: Engine Room

CW: the engine room

The static of the screen gives way to the engine room in Shido’s ship, and a series of yells immediately come from the speakers.

A voice similar, if not identical to Goro Akechi’s comes from a person wearing a tokusatsu-inspired Metaverse outfit, one that is not dissimilar to Goro’s own. Kou Akechi, even bleeding, limping, and generally looking beaten down, pushes himself through the group of startled, similarly beaten up Phantom Thieves, banging his fists against the steel bulkhead door. His voice is raw as he screams. He beats against the door to the best of his ability, shouting and begging and pleading.

“No- GORO-!”

Goro’s breath is shaky as he speaks. “Just go- escape this place. I’ll hold them off.“

“Not without you! I won’t leave you behind!” Kou shouts back, desperately banging on the door. “We- we promised- You can’t do this- you’ll-“

There’s a wet, hacking cough, and Kou’s breath stutters. Makoto shouts Goro’s name, the Phantom Thieves faces painted with shock and horror. Kou’s efforts redouble, his own breath heavy and his movements labored.

“We both… knew this was a possibility,” Goro says, voice noticeably weaker than before, breath hitching. “Kou… I- I’m so sorry. There’s no way… they’d make it with both of us dragging them down.”

“Stop- stop- don’t-“ There’s desperation in Kou’s voice as he speaks. “Goro-!”

“Hey… promise me this, alright?” Goro coughs again, and Kou lets out an agonized wail. “Please… escape this place. Take down Shido. You’re… my precious big brother. I’d do… anything for you… so live… for both of us. Okay?”

“Goro…” Kou’s face crumples underneath his cracked mask.

“And the rest… of you,” Goro addresses the thieves, “let’s make a deal… you’ll- you won’t say no, will you?”

“Why at a time like this?!” Yusuke speaks up, horrified.

“Help my brother… escape,” Goro cuts in, voice strained, “change Shido’s heart… end his crimes… please!”

“You can’t-“

“We’ll do it,” Ren calls out, cutting Kou off and stepping forward. “Akechi- I’ll hold on to your glove!“

There’s a strained laugh from behind the door.

“… That’s what you have to say?” Goro chuckles. “Seriously, you really are…”

“You bastard,” the cognitive copy of Goro says. “How dare you…” Kou’s copy follows up.

“Puppet versions of me and my brother as my final enemy…” Goro mutters, then gasps, a stumbling noise from behind the bulkhead door. “Kou-nii, I…!”

There’s a series of gunshots, and Kou screams.

“No-nononono- THOR!”

Kou’s mask flickers, but he’s all out of energy- despite his best efforts, Thor doesn’t appear. He screams, and screams some more, banging and kicking and clawing at the bulkhead door while the thieves watch on in horror. None of them know what to do, or how to help Kou.

“Goro!” Kou screams. “GORO!”

“I’m… only picking up on the weaklings,” Futaba quietly says, “his signal is gone.”

“He can’t be-“ Kou gasps, voice breaking, his movements growing more and more strained as he keeps trying to get through the door, despite how futile his efforts are. There’s not even so much as a scratch on it. “He’s my little- he can’t- Goro-!”

The thieves can only watch with sorrow as Kou continues to yell and scrape at the door. There’s no reply from the other side, only silence. They try to convince him to come, to get him to the safe room, at the very least, to recover, but he refuses. He can’t, screaming for a brother who won’t answer.

In the end, they have to drag him back. As Kou calls Goro’s name, weakly banging his fists against Haru’s back as she fireman-carries him away from the bulkhead door, the engine room, and his twin’s corpse, droplets fall down his cheeks, mixing with blood. He wails audibly, ugly noises of despair echoing off the walls.

It is on that image that the tape fades to black.