mirrorkechi | Mirror Tapes (Reply)

Pre Wakaba’s Death- For Maruki

His apartment is quiet. He’s alone. His burner phone is tucked into the folds of his bag, he knows he can’t take it out here.

He’s fairly sure this apartment is bugged, or somehow he’s being watched. He has to be careful, he can’t screw this up if he wants this to work.

Shido wants Wakaba’s research.

Shido wants Wakaba Dead.

Akechi knew this was probably going to happen when Shido was taking an interest in her research, but he hoped he had a little more time to…

Time to what? Time to give Wakaba to look after Hannei? Time to talk to her about her theories? Time to just spend with an adult figure he doesn’t hate?

Akechi would be a fool if he didn’t remember the constant ticking of a clock. He never has enough time.

And Wakaba’s is running out too. He isn’t exactly sure what the endgame of this plan is. For Shido to give up? For Wakaba to flee? Fake her death? Something? Anything! As long as there’s just a bit more time before…

Before

It never feels like it’s enough.

There’s never enough time.

But time, time is something he’s trying to make, they’re trying to make. Hannei was explicit about her desire to help.

He hasn’t realized just how intense she could be until that day…

Akechi had scrambled into the lab in a frantic haze. Shido had given him the order to kill Wakaba.

He didn’t know what to do, and that made him panic.

He can’t fold on his revenge plan. Not now!

But he also doesn’t want to kill Wakaba! She’s been a big help in furthering his understanding of the metaverse, she’s still useful!

He doesn’t want to loose the only adult he trusts.

He had been pacing, Hannei watching him from her seat on the exam table, some books about science or botany at her side. Akechi just ranting and thinking aloud how they needed more time. They had to tell Wakaba, to stall somehow, so she can run? Or make a countermeasure? Or something? He didn’t know he just didn’t want to pull the trigger.

Because the thought of his father taking something else away from him made him feel sick.

And Hannei had slid off of the table, looked at him with a blank yet steely expression, and asked one thing,

“What do you need me to do?”

And she did it. Whatever plans he came up with, whatever names he uncovered so they could find their shadows and ‘persuade’ them to get Shido’s attention in some way to distract him from Wakaba for a little longer. She did it. She did it with a ferocity he hadn’t seen since… since her spiral in mememtos, he thinks.

Something about that sits uneasily in his stomach.

He really shouldn’t be worried about this, and yet…

She’s taking the order not to kill seriously. Which makes for some creative techniques when it comes to torturing shadows.

Loki purrs like he’s proud. Maybe a part of him is a bit giddy at her loyalty.

It’s not like he’s unfamiliar with those techniques himself, she had to learn them from him first after all.

Akechi himself is ruthless too, slicing through shadows, knowing just how much damage they can take before they collapse. He has to gather information some way,

He learned on the job, and Hannei learned from him.

Then what’s making him so uneasy? She’s not doing anything he wouldn’t do.

Well, aside from murder. He’s keeping her from that as long as he possibly can.

Perhaps it’s her intensity? Little Prince?

Robin Hood offers, which… doesn’t feel correct. He wouldn’t judge her for being a little intense with her slaughtering of shadows.

He’s no better. If anything she learned that from him.

But if it’s not than then it has to be something else…

The last time he felt uneasy was when Hannei spiraled before. What had unsettled him about that before? It wasn’t the fact she took the harsh reality of the world so poorly, that was bound to happen. It was…

It must have been the speed then.

A week.

A week is all it took for her to be ready to kill a man who hurt her.

Hannei isn’t someone who does things in half measures huh? That must be it. She’s not doing this plan in half measures either.

He hadn’t had time to come up with any new theories on her condition due to… circumstances… but a thought does cross his mind.

Is she like this because of her mementos corruption? Or the memory loss?

Perhaps she’s like an empty glass? And the little she has she feels intensely?

Akechi can’t ignore the wave of concern Robin Hood gives off… it’d be a lie to say Hannei’s behavior hadn’t concerned him but they don’t have the time to play therapist.

It always comes back to a lack of time…

Perhaps we should check in on her next we meet. She’s likely stressed about the situation too.

Does it matter? She’s loyal, she does what she’s told. So why should we care of her feelings on the matter?

You’re sounding like Shido…

And akechi freezes

Fuck. He hates it but Robin Hood is right. Hannei is letting him use her like a tool right now.

Just like what he offered himself as to Shido.

Shit.

Fuck.

Damnit.

He hates this. He hates this he hates he hates-

Breathe

And he does. In, and out.

Akechi thunks the back of his head against the wall. His apartment Shido gave him feeling like a prison, a gilded cage he was all too eager to step into if it meant he had a chance to crush the keeper.

“…I hate this” he says aloud, to nobody in particular.

He hates this.

But he has to continue.

He has to continue for…

He has to. He can’t give this up.

Will you even be satisfied once revenge has been had?

Robin Hood asks with silent concern, Akechi ignores him.

Of course it’ll be worth it. He can’t risk this any further.

They’ve stalled, they’ve tried to distract Shido. But he’s starting to notice this is taking a while. Shido isn’t a patient man. Pushing this further is going to make Akechi look incompetent, or worse; suspicious

If Shido doesn’t trust you then you’ll never get close enough for this to work! We will loose our chance if he discards us for disobeying!

Loki growls, and akechi grips his hands into tight fists. No, he won’t let this chance slip from him.

He needs to do this, his revenge, he needs to make that bastard pay.

But loki is right, time is slipping away and the longer they push to stall the higher the chances Shido will realize he’s doing this on purpose.

And if Shido thinks he’s used up his worth, then he’s as good as dead.

Akechi knows he’s not the only assassin Shido has on his payroll.

He’s just making it a point to be his best.

Fuck.

He can’t die yet, his plan is over if he dies, and he refuses to die before dragging that bastard down to hell with him.

But he hates how obvious the strings he tied to himself are now. He’s pulling at his limits, and that box is so much smaller than he thought.

Akechi always knew he was stepping into the lions den with this plan. But he hasn’t felt the fear of those teeth against his throat until now.

Why hasn’t he thought about how dangerous this would be sooner?

Because you’re stupid.

Loki offers with bleeding sarcasm

Because you’re a child

Robin Hood hums with a compassion that’s too sweet for him to swallow.

It doesn’t matter how he feels. He’s stuck now and he has to continue on like he always does.

It’s not like he has a choice in the end, does he? Does stalling even matter when the choice at the end is the same? An execution is still an execution, even if it’s pushed back a few weeks.

He doesn’t want to give up…

On his revenge

On wakaba

But he can’t have both can he?

No, he’s never been lucky enough to have the comfort of a choice. This is just delaying the inevitable.

Just a bit more time before the noose tightens.

He can’t give up on his revenge. He can’t give up on his plan!

And if going through Wakaba is what it takes…

…

“I’ll do whatever I have to” Akechi mutters to himself.

But he doesn’t need Robin Hood or Loki to tell him that those words were starting to feel hollow

But it doesn’t matter.